The Salvatore Boarding House for Troubled Girls
by tresmunchkins
Summary: Elena Gilbert is a 17 year old girl with a tragic past. After her brother dies in a tragic accident, she is sent to live with her Uncle John. John takes her to The Salvatore Boarding House for Troubled Girls. Little does Elena know how much her life is about to change, as she falls into the hands of the cruel and heartless, Damon Salvatore. AU/AH
1. Chapter 1

**A/N:**** This is my very first fanfic. I've been reading fics here for a long time. I had this idea swirling in my head for ages now, and I finally decided it was time to write it down and share it with the world. I hope you like it. Please review, and if you feel so inclined, favorite and/or follow. **

**This story is going to be on the dark side, at least for the first half or so. It will get lighter eventually. It is Delena-centered, within an alternate universe, and all characters are human. If you have any aversion to forced sex scenes, adult language, violence, abuse, or anything of that nature, then this story is probably not for you. You've been warned. **

**Thank you! And, enjoy!**

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Chapter 1: First Impressions

Elena's POV

It feels like we've been driving for hours, but really it's only been about ten minutes. Uncle John could not have possibly been more cryptic this morning. He came into my room, shook me awake, told me to pack a bag, and then he told me to get in the car without giving me any idea of where we're going. I mean, really, I'm not surprised. John and I don't exactly have a great relationship, but he's been my guardian for the past six months.

Six months. It's been six months since the accident. Six months since my world came crumbling down. If it hadn't been for Tyler freaking Lockwood, I would be living the good life. Well, not the good life. But, something better than this. Six months ago is when my brother died. He got impaled by a tree branch. He got impaled by a tree branch, because I was driving under the influence because of Tyler. Freaking. Lockwood.

That's why my uncle is now responsible for me...because my dad felt that he was a sorry excuse for a father. And, I won't lie, he was. But my uncle hates me and anything would be better than the life I've been semi-living for the last six months.

We pull off the street onto a driveway surrounded by oak trees that create a canopy over the pavement. It is seemingly endless, but we soon pull up to a massive black iron gate that has to be at least fifteen feet high. The words above the gate read "The Salvatore Boarding House for Troubled Girls." What is this place?

"Hello. This is John Gilbert. Damon is expecting me." Damon? Who's Damon? And where are we? A million questions are running through my head as the imposing gate in front of us slides open. We drive down the driveway through more lush trees until finally, a house comes into view. No, not a house. A mansion. The place is gargantuan. It looks like the size of a freaking hotel, and it also looks like whoever lives here isn't hurting for money.

The outside is a creamy color stucco. It has two oversized, ebony French doors at the entrance, and tons of windows all around the exterior. I try to peek into the windows as we drive up, but they all seem to be tinted to the point where it's impossible to even catch a glimpse of what's inside. The whole place seems to have this shroud of mystery that both excites and terrifies me at the same time.

We pull up to a circle drive in front of the house that surrounds a beautiful white, granite fountain with a statue of a woman pouring water out of a cistern as it's centerpiece. I'm so busy ogling over the scenery, that I almost miss Uncle John telling me to grab my bag and follow him.

I've learned very quickly, that like my father, Uncle John does not like having to repeat himself. So, I obediently do as he says, even though I'd like to give Uncle John a piece of my mind, grab my bag, and make a run for it. We walk up to the doors, and they are even bigger up close than they seemed from the car.

As Uncle John rings the doorbell, I feel a sudden tremor go through my body. I tell myself that it's just the chill in the air, but I know that my nerves are getting the best of me.

It feels as if we've been standing at the door for half an hour before the door starts to creak open. And I feel like I'm going to throw up out of anticipation of what could possibly behind that door. I've been staring at my feet since we got to the door, but now I decide to look up and see exactly what my uncle has brought me in to.

My heart beats erratically inside of my chest as I see two black leather shoes that probably cost more than my whole wardrobe, a pair of black pants and a weathered black leather jacket over a black v-neck t-shirt. Does this guy own clothes in any other color?

My heart stops as I look into the man's face, and I see eyes the color of the clearest exotic ocean. I can't focus on anything else. I'm probably drooling. I also notice that he has a head full of raven black hair that matches his choice of clothing. The guy screams danger and excitement and my God, he's hot.

"John, my friend. Good to see you. And what is it that you've brought me this fine day?" Holy crap. His voice makes my insides melt. I'm surprised I'm even able to stand up. He has this hypnotic cadence to his voice that I'm sure he's used to his advantage many times. It would be nearly impossible not to fall under his spell.

"Damon, this is my niece, Elena." Ah, so this is Damon. God, even his name is sexy. What am I doing? I'm never like this around guys. Of course, I've never seen a man quite like Damon. "I think she could use your help. She's done some very...bad things." Wait, what? What is this guy, a therapist?

I realize I've been staring at Damon when his eyes suddenly dart to mine, and a devilish smirk appears on his face. I blush profusely and look away. I feel like I can't breathe. My chest is constricting, my lungs are burning...oh my God, oh my God, what's happening to me?

"I'm sure I can help your niece. Elena, get your things and go sit on the couch in the living area to your left." I nearly jump, as his voice has gone from smooth and velvety to strong and dominant. Once the shock of being ordered around by this complete stranger subsides, I pick up my bag, and walk inside. And everything is rich hardwoods and marble and granite and just screams money.

I look to my left and see a living area that is illuminated by the sunlight streaming in through the windows. Even as dark as the windows look from outside, the room is still filled with light. There are two deep red, plush chairs situated around a stone and brick fireplace large enough that I could walk into it. And behind these chairs are an antique oak coffee table, a loveseat that is the same deep red as the chairs, and a sofa that looks like it will swallow me up if I sit on it.

As soon as I finish admiring the decor of the room, I take a seat on the couch. And just as I thought, I start to sink down into the cushion. At the moment, I feel like Thumbelina-small and insignificant.

I hear the rumble of an engine as, through the windows, I see Uncle John's car speeding down the driveway. Um, ok, so I guess I'll be staying here. The front door closes, and I hear the sound Damon's shoes walking towards me on the hardwood.

A few seconds later, Damon is standing in front of me. With my head down, all I see are his feet, but I can feel his eyes staring at me. I shift a little in my seat, as an overwhelming sense of uneasiness settles around me.

Damon's POV

I can't help but smile at how uncomfortable the girl in front of me is. I think I'll just stand here for a little while and wallow in her discomfort. When John told me he was bringing me something today, I had no idea it was going to be this...delectable.

It's definitely not the first time someone's brought me a girl to keep here. Hell, that's what this place is for. My dad started it as a type of reform school for girls who caused trouble at home, in society, or sometimes, just girls whose parents were tired of them and who had the money to fork over for us to be glorified babysitters.

Nowadays, the house is pretty empty. The only girls that have been here for the past year have been Miss Caroline Forbes aka Blondie, and Jenna Sommers. Caroline is dating my angel of a brother, Stefan. And Jenna is dating one of the other two men who help out here, Alaric Saltzman.

But, back to more important business, this girl. Elena? I think that's her name. She's not like the girls I usually see here. She seems innocent, shaken, not rebellious and bitchy. I could be wrong, though. One thing I know is that she is beautiful. Her pencil straight, brunette hair falls over her shoulders and hangs over her two pert, little breasts. Mmmm. OK. Wallowing time is over. Time to get down to the nitty-gritty.

I walk back and sit on the loveseat across from the couch, and I chuckle as she visibly lets a sigh of relief out. I begin to go through the usual round of questions, followed by the rules of the house.

"Name?"

"Elena Gilbert."

"Age?"

"Seventeen."

"Why are you here, Elena?"

"I-I don't know. My Uncle John just told me to pack a bag this morning before we left. He didn't explain anything to me." My eyes widen a little as I realize that she only has one small suitcase with her. This should be interesting. "Damon? What is this place?"

"First of all, you do not get to call me Damon. Second, I ask the questions. You just sit there like a good little girl and answer them." I say with a smile. She's staring at me like I'm the devil. I grin, because, let's face it, I pretty much am.

"Now, where were we? Let's go over the rules of this house. First of all, as we already briefly discussed, calling me Damon...big no no. You will call me Master or Sir." I see her eyes shoot up and she's glaring at me again. She's got some fire behind those innocent eyes. "You will not talk unless spoken to. You will not do anything unless told to do it, and you will never-and I mean ever-try to run away. Believe me, you won't get far. Your uncle has withdrawn you from school, but you will have a tutor who will come each day and give you your schooling here."

I don't think I've ever seen anyone look at me with so much hate. It's like she's trying to set me on fire with her eyes. I like it.

"Your room will be upstairs in the west wing. There are two other girls here, Jenna and Caroline. You will notice that they don't have to comply with the same rules that you do. Let me just say, before it becomes a problem, that jealousy will get you nowhere fast. They belong to the other men here, Alaric Saltzman and Wes Maxfield. The same rules that apply to me, apply to them as well. I think that's enough rules for today. You got all that, cupcake?"

No answer. Just a glare. Hmmm.

"I asked you a question." I say through gritted teeth. This girl doesn't know what she's getting herself into. If she thinks she's going to be here and be stubborn and headstrong, she has another thing coming. I can be just as stubborn, and it ain't pretty.

"Yes. I got it. And my name's not cupcake, it's Elena!" She spits out.

Oh. She did not. I stand up and walk slowly over to her. I see her tremble a little. She knows she screwed up. But if I don't punish her, she'll just keep doing it. My hand slaps her face hard enough that it's stinging, and yet, there's no scream, no whimper, no tears. Just more of that fiery glare and a lot of heavy breathing.

"Get your bag, go upstairs, and go find your room. It's the only one with the door open." I say this lowly and dangerously enough that she knows I mean business.

She grabs her bag, gives me one last hateful glare, and starts heading to the stairs. But not before I hear her mutter, rather sarcastically, "Fine. Damon."

I can't help but grin. This girl is going to be so much fun to break.


	2. Chapter 2

**A****/N:**** Wow wow wow! Thank you all SO much for all the reviews, favorites, and follows after my first chapter. You all made me feel so great. *Virtual hugs to everyone* And now, I present chapter 2. I hope to update this story fairly frequently, but I have three kids, and sometimes life may get in the way. This story has me so freaking excited, though! On to the reading. :-)**

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Chapter 2: Silent Treatment

Elena's POV

I run up the stairs as fast as I can, mostly because I can't stand to be in the room one more second with Damon Salvatore, but partly because I'm scared of him. The slap on the face was a surprise, and it freaking hurt, but I'm not going to let him think that I'm weak. Besides, I'm used to it. If there is anything that my dad taught me, it is to not show weakness.

I get upstairs, and there are two long hallways, one to my left and one to my right. Damon told me that my room is in the west wing-the only room with the door open. Well, since I can't tell my east from my west in this house, I'll just look for an open door.

There must be twenty rooms up here. And I only see one room at the very end of the hallway to my left that has the door open. As I venture down the hall, I admire the paintings hung on the walls and the ornate doors to the rooms that hold mysteries behind them. I hear voices behind some of the doors. Their happiness is a stark contrast to the despair I am feeling at the moment.

I finally reach what must be my bedroom. The door is just as ornate as the others that I passed by. As I step into the room, I feel my heart skip a beat. It's beautiful and at least twice as big as my room was back home. My dad was a doctor, so he had his fair share of money, but I've never seen anything like this.

The floors are a dark, distressed hardwood. A luxurious Persian rug covers the area of the floor between the bed and the dresser. There are wood panels on the wall that are the same shade of wood as the floor. The furniture all looks antique, but well taken care of. There is a large dresser with a huge, ornately framed mirror atop it, along with a matching nightstand, and a queen bed that looks so tall, I know I'll need a step stool just to get in bed. The bedding consists of a pure white duvet cover with white sheets and a wide array of plush pillows in various sizes.

I put my suitcase on a trunk in front of the bed and unzip it. I didn't know what exactly to pack this morning, and I was in a huge hurry, and I know that I did not come prepared to stay anywhere for any long period of time. I packed a few pairs of underwear and bras, a few shirts, some jeans, my journal, a couple of pairs of shoes, and a few miscellaneous toiletries. Yep, completely unprepared. I begin putting my clothes in the dresser, when I hear a knock at the door.

I glance at the door and see a girl who looks to be around my age. She has wavy, blonde hair and a smile so wide, I think her face may split in half.

"Hi! My name is Caroline. You must be Elena." Wow. Her voice is just as cheery as the expression on her face. I gotta say, this girl kinda scares me.

"Um, yeah. I'm Elena. Nice to meet you."

"Welcome to the house. It's been so long since we've had a new girl here!" She looks at me like she's waiting for me to say something, but I've got nothing. She just waves it off. "Anyway, Damon wanted me to give you this. It's your daily schedule. Sucks to be you." She says this with a slight frown, before she hands me the paper and prances out of my room.

I look over the schedule, and I can feel myself getting increasingly hot from the rage burning inside me. It seems I am to be Damon's personal slave. I am to wake Damon up at seven with his breakfast in tow. Then, from seven-thirty until noon, I have school. After which, I have twenty minutes for lunch. Then, there is a list of chores that includes everything from making the beds to scrubbing the toilets and taking out the trash. All of this is topped off with making dinner for the whole house and cleaning up afterwards. And then, if I don't have homework, I have free time until light's out at eleven o'clock. Lather, rinse, repeat, every single day.

It's not that I mind doing chores. I did all the chores at home. But being ordered to do them by a complete stranger? Never mind the fact that this house is enormous. It'll take me hours to do these chores. There's no way I'll be able to do everything he wants me to do in the time he has alloted. I mean, I couldn't even do it all in one day. He must be out of his mind. Before I can form another insulting thought directed towards Damon, the devil himself walks into the room.

"I see you've made yourself at home." He says as he takes his shoes off and lays down on my bed. "Don't get too comfortable. You probably won't be spending too much time in here."

I decide to ignore him as much as I can, as I continue putting things away. I can feel his eyes on me the whole time I'm going back and forth between my dresser and my suitcase.

"So, I figured since I've given you a little bit of time to yourself, I'd explain the rest of the rules to you."

Um, excuse me? The rest of the rules? As if the ones he's already given me aren't enough. I glare at him, only to see him looking at me with that shitty grin on his face. I glare harder. Yet, he seems even more amused. He infuriates me.

"Well, since I see I'm getting the silent treatment, I'll just continue. Did Caroline give you your schedule?"

I barely nod. I refuse to speak to him. I am a professional when it comes to the silent treatment.

"Good. I expect it to be followed precisely. If you can't finish everything by eleven, then you'll just have to wake up extra early. I was going to bring in a tutor for you, but I've changed my mind. Alaric is a certified teacher, and he will be your teacher. And don't think that just because you're being home-schooled, that we're going to go easy on you. Ric knows what he's doing, and he's not a pushover."

This is definitely not how I expected to spend my senior year. I'm not complaining much though. I hated school. More specifically, I hated the people at school. I'm not gonna cry about not being in a small, cramped room with all of them. At least one good thing has come from this.

"Also, eventually, you will be expected to perform other...services for me." No. "You are, after all, here for me. Your uncle paid me a significant amount of money to take you in, and I'd hate to have to complain to him that you aren't living up to my expectations." Stop the bus. John paid Damon to take me? I think I'm going to be sick.

"I expect you to provide me pleasure when I want it, where I want it, and how I want it. I am not here to make you happy or to make you comfortable. This is going to happen. It may not happen yet, but it will happen. It will be much, much better for you if you just accept this now and make yourself comfortable with the idea. Because if you don't, your life is going to be miserable."

Yup, pretty sure my life is going to be miserable here no matter what. And if he thinks I'm going to be his own personal blow-up doll, he has another thing coming.

"Are you on any sort of contraception?"

I just stare at him like he's growing horns out of his head. He might as well be, it would fit his persona perfectly.

"I asked you a question, Elena. You know I expect an answer. Or did you not learn your lesson earlier?" He says, raising his voice, as he rises slightly.

I shake my head.

"Well, we'll have to fix that. Wouldn't want any accidents. Lucky for you, Wes, who as I mentioned before is another man here, also happens to be a doctor. He'll make sure you get on the Pill. You will take them everyday. And just so I know you're not trying to trick me, I will keep your pills in my room, and you will take them in front of me."

This guy has some serious trust issues. Actually, this guy just has issues.

"I hope you don't have any STDs. But if you're anything like any of the other girls I've had here, you probably have a plethora of nastiness in your pretty little lady parts."

I shake my head no again. Seeing as how I've never even been with a man, I'm pretty sure I'm clean. Can't say the same for him.

"Good. But just to make sure, Wes will test you."

I can't help but wonder when the last time was that Damon was tested. I also can't help but wonder exactly how many women he's been with. The thought makes me cringe inside.

"Well, I think that's all for now. You have the rest of today and tonight to get settled in, but tomorrow I will expect you to begin your duties here. If you choose to ignore my rules or disrespect me anymore than you already have, don't think I won't hesitate to take all of this," he says as he waves his arms around the room, "away from you. It can all be gone in a heartbeat. It's your choice, Elena."

He comes and stands directly in front of me, and I'm sure he can see my chest heaving in anger. He is staring down at me, and I am staring at his chest, refusing to look at him. He chuckles and walks, er, struts, out of my room. I've never hated anyone so much. Not my dad, not even my Uncle John. I stare at my door, until I hear Damon walking down the stairs. Then I run over to my door, and I let out all of my anger and hate and resentment on it as I slam it closed as hard as I can. Oh, Damon, I've made my choice.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Holy cow! Thank you all for the follows, favorites, and reviews. Keep 'em coming. They are unbelievably motivating.**

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Chapter 3: And So it Begins

Damon POV

I'm halfway down the stairs, when I hear Elena's door slam. I'm tempted to run upstairs and show her what happens to girls who disrespect me and my house, but I'm tired of dealing with her and her attitude. And she's been here less than twenty-four hours, and God, I need a drink.

I go to my room and close the door, leaning against it, while feeling a massive headache coming on. Yeah. I need that drink now. Stat. Pronto. I head over to the bar in my room, taking a few ice cubes from my mini-fridge and putting them in a tumbler. Then I pour my liquid utopia, also known as Kentucky's finest, in the glass. It has a pleasant burn going down, and I'm instantly all warm and happy and fuzzy all over. My problems are a thing of the past. All I care about now is the golden liquid inside my glass and finishing it off so I can pour another.

I don't hear from Elena for the rest of the night, and that suits me just fine. Soon enough, she's going to learn her place here. John Gilbert paid me $500,000 to take Elena, with one stipulation. I'm supposed to break her. He said he didn't care what methods I have to use, how long it takes, or the state of her physical or emotional well-being. He just wants it done. It's not that I need the money, but how could I refuse such a tempting offer?

Yet, at the same time, I can't help but wonder how this girl got in such a predicament-where her uncle is willing to basically sell her off. And where are her parents? There's more to Elena Gilbert than meets the eye, that's for sure. She may be strong and fiery and stubborn, but I get the feeling that she's been through hell. Maybe it's because of the tired look I see behind the fire. Or maybe it's the small glimpses of fear I see when her glare, that I've come to actually adore, falters a little. Whatever it is, I'm going to figure it out, somehow.

It's almost midnight, and I'm feeling the full effects of the bourbon in my body. I already went to check on Elena, and her lights were out. At least she followed one rule. Tomorrow, however, is when the fun begins.

I am dreaming about paradise and free-flowing adult beverages and mostly naked women, when I'm awoken by my door slamming closed with brutal force.

"What the fuck?!" Holy shit. I think my heart just flew up into my brain. My chest and my head are throbbing erratically.

I bolt upright in my bed and look over to see who I need to kill, and it's her. Elena's standing in my room, dressed in jeans and a t-shirt, with an innocent smile and amusement in her eyes.

"Good morning!" She says a little too happily. "It's seven. I brought you breakfast."

Funny. I don't see a tray. No eggs, no bacon, no morning coffee. Elena walks over to me and hands me a fucking banana. I can feel my face getting hot, and I know she can tell I'm mad. If not by the anger in my expression, then perhaps by the now-squashed banana that is shaking in my fist.

"What. The fuck. Is this?" I ask, before looking at her with my eyes narrowed.

And there it is, that little falter in her expression that she doesn't think I notice. But it's gone as quickly as it appears.

"It's your breakfast, Sir." She says in the same sugary-sweet, saccharin voice as before.

I throw the smashed banana in her face, before I jump out of my bed. I pin her to the wall, putting my hands on the wall on either side of her head and pressing my body into hers. She can feel every inch of me, and I can feel every inch of her. And she's standing there, trying to look like she's unaffected, but I can see her cheeks reddening and her chest heaving.

"If you ever, _ever_, try anything like that again, you will wish you were never born. Am I understood?" My voice is a deep growl that should be intimitading the shit out of Elena, but instead, she sticks her tongue out at me. Really? How old is she, five? That earns her a slap across her pretty face. And just like before, she has absolutely no reaction to it, besides her head turning and hitting the wall behind her.

"Do you have a fucking death wish or are you just stupid?" I ask. Because I genuinely want to know. This girl is crazy.

"I don't want to be here, and I don't want to be your slave. You didn't say what kind of breakfast I was supposed to bring you..Master." She spits the last word out like it's poison.

"OK. Fair enough. Maybe I should have been more specific. So, here you go. A. Do not wake me up by slamming my door. Ever. That will not earn you any Brownie points. B. A banana does not count as breakfast. Eggs. Bacon. Coffee. Think IHOP, but better and without that pancake with the funny face on it. And C. Drop the fucking attitude. We discussed this last night, Cupcake. I will strip away every right that you think you have here until you are left with nothing."

To her credit, Elena looks less like she's going to murder me with her eyes, and more like she may possibly be taking into consideration what I just said. So, I decide now's a good time to let her go. She stands there for a second just staring at me, before she runs out of my room.

Elena's POV

I run from Damon's room back to my room and the adjoining bathroom. I turn on the sink to wash the banana off of my face, and I see a purple bruise on my cheek that looks as bad as it hurts. I know I did wrong, but Damon makes me so angry. And I wanted to show him that I'm not some little pushover. I'm not going to bow down and be his little pet.

Once I finish washing all the remains of the banana off of me and applying some makeup to try and cover up the bruise, I head out of my room and down the hall to the far end of the east hallway. I was told to meet Mr. Saltzman here. I sit down at a simple wooden table set up in the middle of the room. There is another seat directly across from me, that I assume will be where he will sit. I wonder if Mr. Saltzman will be as much of an ass as Damon.

Ten minutes later, a tall, ruggedly handsome man with sandy brown hair and matching stubble walks in. He has a warm smile on his face, and I already like him. He stretches his hand out to me, and I reach out and shake it.

"Hi. I'm Alaric Saltzman. You must be Elena."

"Yes. Elena Gilbert. It's nice to meet you." I say as he lets go of my hand and joins me at the table.

"Damon told me you're seventeen. Are you a junior or a senior?"

"I'm a senior. I'll be eighteen in a few months."

"What kinds of classes were you taking at your old school?"

"Um, well, I was in advanced placement world history. I also took calculus, AP English literature, AP psychology, and anatomy and physiology."

Alaric's eyes widen when I list my classes. I guess he was expecting me to be a slacker. Instead, he got an overachiever.

"Wow. OK. Well, my work's cut out for me, then. I'm a history teacher, so I'm good with teaching you history. But I'm afraid you'll be on your own with everything else. I'll provide textbooks for you, but it'll be up to you to teach yourself the material. You will have proctored tests at the college every month to make sure you're not bullshitting me, and that you're actually learning something. And that's about it. Any questions."

"No, Sir."

"OK. And, you don't have to call me sir. Damon may demand that crap, but you can call me Mr. Saltzman. And if you don't tell, I'll let you call me Ric when we're in here. It'll be our little secret."

Ric smiles and winks at me, and I smile back. And it feels so good to smile. I already love this man.

The rest of our time together is spent going over what I've learned so far in history. Ric does his best to make sure I am comfortable around him. He's the complete opposite of Damon.

It's almost noon, and I can't help but feel a little sad. I've actually really enjoyed our time together. As we're standing up to leave, a woman walks in. She's pretty, with brown hair, and warm eyes. She looks like she's in her early twenties. She walks over to Ric and kisses him gently on the lips, before smiling at me and introducing herself.

"Hi. I'm Jenna." Warmth radiates from her, and I'm instantly comfortable around her.

"I'm Elena."

"Elena is Damon's new girl." Alaric says. Jenna just rolls her eyes.

"Damon's an ass. Although I'm sure you've already figured that out."

Oh, have I.

"But he's a good guy. And I'm not just saying that because he's my boyfriend's best friend. He's just...misunderstood."

Hmm. I'm not really sure what to make of this. He doesn't seem like a good guy at all. He seems like a complete jerk. But I don't say anything.

The silence is broken by Alaric. "Jenna started out as a girl here. She was eighteen when her parents brought her here. She was under my care, and now, here we are six years later. And Caroline, who I've heard you've already met, was also just another girl here. But Damon's brother, Stefan, took a liking to her. And now they've been together for four years."

I look at him with my brow furrowed in confusion, wondering why he's bothering telling me this. And he seems to get my message.

"I'm just saying. Jenna's right. Damon's a good guy. He may seem like a dick. Well, actually, he is a dick. But he's a dick who could use someone stable. And you seem to be stable. Anything is better than the bitch of a girlfriend he has right now."

And I'm suddenly uncomfortable. Not only with the fact that Damon Salvatore has a girlfriend who apparently doesn't mind the fact that he has sex with other people. But also, because Ric is sharing personal information that I probably shouldn't be privy to. And I also feel like he's trying to hook me up with Damon, which is never ever going to happen. Ever. Never.

"Um, well, I'm glad you both have seen the good in him. I, um, I'll try not to be too hard on him." Not.

They both chuckle, and then we say our good-byes, and I go back to my room. It's time to start my chores around the house.

Five hours later, I've made my bed and Damon's bed. I've swept, mopped, vacuumed, dusted. I cleaned the bathrooms, washed the dishes, and did two loads of laundry. It was really tempting to skimp on the chores, but cleaning has always been like therapy to me.

I'm a little OCD, and cleaning makes me calm and relaxed. It helps me ignore the bigger problems and focus on things like whether the sheets have hospital corners or if there are water spots on the faucet. Although, I'll never give Damon the satisfaction of knowing that I actually like to clean.

The same goes for cooking. So, when it's time to make dinner, I go to the kitchen to familiarize myself with where everything is. There is a massive Sub-Zero refrigerator and freezer, and both are fully stocked. The walk-in pantry is also fully stocked. I find a set of beautiful, stainless-steel pots and pans in a cabinet. They look like they've never been touched.

I decide to make chicken saltimbocca. It was one of my dad's favorite dishes, and one that I could probably make with my eyes closed. I boil the water for the pasta, fry up some bacon pieces, and cook the chicken. When dinner is done, I head to the dining room to set the table.

The table is at least fourteen feet long. I put napkins and forks at six spots. I pour myself a glass of water, and I pour five glasses of a nice Chianti I found on a wine rack for the others. I put the glasses on the table, and finally, I plate the food and put it on the table as well.

I tell myself that I'm not doing this to please Damon. But, really, there is this little part of me that always aims to please. And I do want Ric and Jenna and Caroline happy. I still haven't met Dr. Maxfield, because he's usually at work.

Speaking of work, I was suprised to find out earlier that Damon has an actual real job. Apparently, he and his brother have their own company, as I learned from Ric this morning. I'm not sure what they do. Something with finance. What I do know, is that I was told to have dinner on the table by six, which is when Damon gets home from work.

It's 5:50 right now, and Ric, Jenna, and Caroline have come into the dining room to sit down. They are all oohing and aahing over the food, when a man, who I assume is Dr. Maxfield, walks in and sits down. He's tall and blonde with blue eyes and a beautiful face. But something about him makes me shudder. He doesn't say a word to me. He just looks me up and down and grins. Not creepy at all.

Five minutes later, Damon walks in the front door, drops his stuff at the door, and walks into the dining room, sitting at his spot. He looks exhausted. Just as I'm about to sit down, Damon clears his throat and when I look at him, he's glaring at me and shaking his head.

"You do not get to eat at this table. You can eat in your room. You have to earn the privelege to eat here."

My jaw drops open, and I want to throw my food in his lap.

"Pick up your plate, take it to your room, and when you're done, come back and wash the dishes. Don't make me make a scene right here." He looks tired as he says this, and I know right now is not a good time to push his buttons. So, I do as he says.

Damon and I, fortunately, avoid each other the rest of the night. I'm done cleaning up the kitchen by eight, and I spend the rest of my night writing in my journal and looking out my window at the trees blowing in the wind, wondering why life has dealt me such low cards.

Soon, my bed is calling my name, and I heed it's call. I sink into the mattress and pray the same prayer I pray every night, asking God to spare me, just for one night, the nightmares I've been having for months now. I pray this, even as I know that my prayer won't be answered.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Thank you again for ask of the wonderful reviews, as well as the favorites and follows. Hugs to everyone. Here's chapter 4 for your enjoyment. Towards the end this chapter, the story went completely different than I had originally planned. But it kind of wrote itself, and at first I wanted Elena to be kinda prudish, but then, I thought back to when I was a teenager. And, yeah, my hormones were all over the place. So, I wrote it how I thought it would more realistically go. I hope you enjoy. Oh, and there is some light smut at the end.**

* * *

Chapter 4: Katherine

Elena's POV

I am laying awake, staring at my ceiling, when my alarm starts buzzing. Five-thirty came way too quickly after a night of restlessness. The nightmares came and went, as usual. It's the same every night and has been since the accident. Every night I have to relive that moment where I saw my brother's lifeless body next to me. Every night I wake up feeling like I'm on the verge of having a panic attack. I would give anything for one night of peaceful sleep.

I get up and head to get myself ready for the day. I take a nice hot shower, brush my teeth and hair, and get dressed in a low-cut red t-shirt with distressed jeans. As I'm walking out of the bathroom to go make Damon's breakfast, I see Dr. Creepy standing in my room.

"Good morning, Elena." He says with a smile.

"Good morning, Dr. Maxfield."

"Damon mentioned to me yesterday that you needed to be put on the Pill." He holds out some small packets of birth control pills, all organized in rows. "I will give these to him this morning, and you will take them each morning when you go to him. He also mentioned that you needed to be tested."

"Um, yeah. I-I don't think that's necessary, really." I don't know what it is about him that makes me so uncomfortable, but his whole demeanor makes warning signals go off in my head.

"Well, I think Damon knows what's best for you. I'll bring supplies in tomorrow to draw some blood for the test." I'm just about to tell him that I'm pretty sure I know what is best for me, when he turns to leave the room. "Goodbye, Elena." And he's gone.

I have one hour until I am expected to wake Damon up with breakfast. So, I head downstairs to the kitchen, and decide on bacon with eggs and toast. And let's not forget the coffee. I've decided that today I will attempt to be civil to Damon.

Yesterday's altercation with the banana, much as I hate to admit it, scared me a little. Damon was beyond mad, and I'm still nursing the bruise on my right cheek. It's also not fair to the other people in this house-the ones I actually like-if Damon's in a piss poor mood because of me.

I finish making Damon's breakfast and put it all on a breakfast tray to take upstairs. When I get to his room, the door is already slightly open, and Damon is sitting up in bed, shirtless. I force myself to look away, because I'd rather him not see me drooling over him. But, damn, that chest. I'd like to run my hands all over-wait...what am I thinking? Must look away, distract myself. I take a few deep breaths, open the door a little wider, and walk into his room.

* * *

Damon's POV

I hear Elena walk into my room, and without a word, she walks over and sets a tray of sunny side up eggs, perfectly crisp bacon, hot buttered toast, and steaming fresh coffee on the bed beside me. I have to say, I'm a little surprised. I fully expected more of her sassy attitude today. She's standing beside me now, looking at me expectantly, and I know I'm missing something here. Oh, right, the pills.

"Wes brought me your pills this morning. Pop one out and take it. Use the glass and the water in that carafe on the nightstand."

She nods in acceptance, and does as I have requested. And I'm baffled. Still no attitude.

"Now, open your mouth and stick your tongue out." Good, no sign of the pill. I catch myself staring a little too long at her perfectly pink tongue, imagining what it could do to me. And I feel cock twitch with desire. It won't be long before I'll have her fulfilling that desire any way I please. But...it won't be today. Katherine's coming today.

"Go ahead and close your mouth, cupcake." And there's a little glare. I'm glad to see all of her fire hasn't gone out. "I need to talk to you about something. My girlfriend, Katherine, is coming for a visit today. She knows what I do here, and she knows my expectations of you. Please, for the love of God, do not disappoint me today. Because, if you do," I narrow my eyes at her, "there will be hell to pay. And I have no problem with Kat putting you in your place if I'm not around. Are we understood?"

And now, she's glaring at me full force. She nods just enough for me to see, and I really hope I don't have problems with her today. It's difficult enough dealing with Katherine's shit. I finish eating and give Elena permission to leave my room. To her credit, the only thing she's done this morning is give me those amusing dirty looks, and I'm choosing not to pick a battle with her over them today.

Since Katherine's coming, I'm working from home today. These days are always the best. I could stay in my underwear all day if I wanted to. If I really wanted to, I could parade around naked. But, I won't for Ric and Wes's sake. I'm actually dreading seeing the she-bitch.

I honestly don't even know why we're still together. I barely see her, since she moved to Chicago, and she only calls me when she's not busy, which is never. She's the most self-centered, manipulative, egotistical, self-righteous woman I've ever met, and yet, somehow, we've been together for four years. At least the sex is great, when I can get it. And she doesn't give me shit about my lifestyle.

I decide it's finally time for me to get some motivation. So I slide out of bed and walk lazily over to my shower. My cock is still hard after seeing Elena's sweet little tongue this morning, and that's what I think of as I jerk myself off. God, I need to get laid. You know what, thank God Katherine's coming today. I'm going to make her scream.

* * *

Elena's POV

I walk into my school room and see Ric waiting for me at our table. He has a stack of textbooks in front of him, and he motions for me to take my seat.

"Hey. Good to see you this morning, Elena."

"Thanks. I see you got my books."

"Yes. I also went by your old school yesterday and got your school records. I've looked over them, and I have to say, you were a pretty remarkable student," he says with a smile.

"Thank you."

"Although I did notice that towards the end of your junior year, into this year, your grades started slipping. Was the material too hard, did you lose focus, what exactly happened there? You were a straight A student, and then all of a sudden you were making C's and D's."

Oh God, I don't want to go into this with him...or anyone. So, I try to skirt around the issue. "Um, I was dealing with some personal issues." Like my brother dying and my dad forking me over to an uncle who didn't give a damn about me.

Thankfully, Ric doesn't press the issue. "Well, hopefully, we can get you back on the right track. Now, what exactly are your long-term goals. College? Work? Neither?"

"I'm planning on going to medical school and becoming a surgeon." It's been all mapped out for me since I was still in diapers. I'm just along for the ride.

"Wow. What made you decide on that?"

"Um, well, my dad's a doctor, and so, I'm just following in his footsteps." I shrug as if I'm indifferent to the situation, but he evidently sees through me.

"It's not what you want?"

It is if I expect any kind of financial assistance from my dad. "I-I do." I lie. "It's just, I'm not looking forward to being in school forever."

Ric laughs and suggests that we go ahead and get on with our history lesson. And I agree whole-heartedly.

The next few hours pass by rather quickly, and before I know it, we're done with our second session together. I walk with my books in hand back to my room and place them on my dresser. Then, I head downstairs, eat a quick lunch, and get started on my chores for today.

I haven't had time to really think about what Damon said this morning. I'm not looking forward to meeting this Katherine lady. But at the same time, I want to see what Damon's type is. Why? I don't know. Although, he didn't seem very excited about the idea of her coming. He just looked exhausted, and he'd just woken up.

I do my chores in the main areas of the house, before heading up and cleaning Damon's room. His door is closed when I get there, and when I open it, Damon is looking at me from his laptop. He's sitting in a chair by his bed, wearing black pajama pants, and an unbuttoned black shirt. There's that magnificent chest again. His hair is mussed, I'm looking straight into two blue pools, and he looks freaking amazing. Seriously.

I think I might hate him a little less than I did yesterday. I don't think it's possible to hate something that good looking for any extended period of time. And wow, I'm just standing here staring at him. I should say something.

"Oh. I-uh, I thought you were at work." I stutter, and I'm blushing. And I hope he doesn't notice.

"I decided to work from home today, since Kat's coming. She'll want me to be here when she gets here, and she gave me no fucking time frame of when to expect her. Not that I would expect anything else from her." He's irritated. And for once, he's not irritated with me. I choose not to push his buttons right now.

"OK. Well, I'm just going to clean your room. I don't mind if you stay." I want to smack myself. Of course, he can stay in his own room.

He reads my mind. "I'm glad I have your permission to stay. Seeing as how it is MY fucking room." He rolls his eyes, and I wonder what has him so on edge.

I work silently, dusting, vacuuming, making Damon's bed, cleaning his bathroom. The whole time, he is busy working and pays no attention to me. Fine with me. I finish in his room as quickly as I can and don't bother saying goodbye on my way out. He's obviously not in the mood to be bothered right now.

I finish up my chores around the house, and as I'm making my way to the kitchen to start making dinner, the doorbell rings. Damon comes down the stairs, his shirt now buttoned, and his pajama pants exchanged for dark blue jeans.

I stand close to the kitchen, where I can't be seen from the door, and when he opens it, there are two people standing there. There is a man with brown hair and a gorgeous woman with long brunette hair that falls in curls over her shoulders. Neither looks exceptionally happy to be near each other.

"Hello, Lover." The woman says to Damon. So, that's Katherine. She walks in, wraps her arms around Damon and kisses him passionately. And I feel something I've never felt before in between my legs...an aching, longing. I bite my lip as I watch them kiss, and I wonder what it would be like to kiss Damon Salvatore. It must be heaven, because when they break their kiss, Katherine looks like she can barely breathe.

"Hi, Baby. I've missed you." Damon says in a sweet, seductive voice. He's making it really hard for me to hate him.

"I've missed you, too," Katherine says with a smile, and then the smile is gone. "You didn't tell me you invited _him, _though." She motions over to the man next to her.

"Thank you, Katherine. You're just too kind. And he didn't invite me. I don't need an invitation to drop by and see my brother."

That's Damon's brother? He doesn't look much like Damon. He's tall, like Damon, but he has a head full of brown hair, and I think his eyes are green, though I can't tell from where I am. Damon and his brother hug, and I can tell that they are close. Yet, something in Damon's demeanor seems strained, unspoken words that I hear loud and clear.

"Stefan, brother, what a surprise!" Damon says with a tight smile.

"Well, I was in town for the day, and I couldn't visit Mystic Falls without seeing my brother."

"Look, can we cut it with the chit chat? I'm really tired of wearing these shoes. And I could really use a drink." Katherine says, as she pushes her way past Damon and Stefan.

And, crap, they're all coming this way. I make a beeline for the kitchen and try to look busy. I go to the pantry and start grabbing things I'll need for dinner tonight, when I hear Damon call me over. I set the items on the counter and walk over to the trio.

"Elena, I want to introduce you to my girlfriend, Katherine, and my brother, Stefan."

"Katherine, Stefan this is Elena. She's the newest girl here."

I smile at them, and Stefan smiles back at me, but Katherine looks annoyed.

"Well, great, then she can get my bags out of my car." Wait, what? Who does this bitch think I am? The hired help? Get your own bags out of your own damn car!

She throws her keys at me, and I catch them right before they hit my face.

"You can take my things to Damon's room." And she walks off. Yup, Ric was right. She is such a bitch.

I walk out to the circle driveway in front of the house, and see a beautiful, silver Lexus SUV. It's really tempting to get in and drive it away, but since Damon is probably watching me from the front door, that's not a wise idea. I pop the back open, and there are at least five bags there. There is one large suitcase, two smaller ones, a makeup bag, and another bag with God knows what in it. From what I've heard, Katherine is staying for one night. One night. And she needs all of this? I'm here indefinitely and I didn't even bring this much stuff.

I grab the large suitcase and the two smallest bags, and I take them and head upstairs. God, this suitcase is heavy. I wouldn't be surprised if Katherine filled it with bricks. I take the three bags to Damon's room and then I follow that with the two other bags. And I would love nothing more than to crash on Damon's bed and sleep the rest of the day. But...duty calls.

I make my way back downstairs to make dinner. I've decided to make chicken piccata tonight. It's my favorite food, even though I've only had it a couple of times. I pull some chicken breasts out of the refrigerator, along with some lemons and butter and garlic. And I already have the stuff from the pantry ready to go: capers, spaghetti, salt, and some olive oil.

As I'm cooking the chicken, Stefan comes into the kitchen. He leans against a counter and smiles at me. He's pretty cute, but Damon is definitely the hotter of the two brothers.

"Wow. You can actually cook?" He chuckles. "Most of the girls Damon's had here couldn't tell a spoon from a fork. Who taught you how to cook?"

I shift uncomfortably. I really don't like talking about myself, especially with people I barely met. "Uh, I-I pretty much taught myself. And a family friend taught me a lot, too. But, um, yeah, mostly just myself and trial and error." And here it comes. I know he expected me to say that my mom taught me. But that's kind of hard when you don't have a mom.

"Wow. I take it your mom didn't cook then?" No. My mom was dead.

"No." And now I really wish he would just leave. He's distracting me, and I almost overcooked the chicken breast. There's nothing worse than dry chicken. No amount of sauce can fix it.

"Well, I'll get out of your hair. The food just smelled so good, I had to see who was producing such wonderful smells."

I stand there and smile, hoping that my silence will get the message across that his time to smell the food is officially over. And it works. He leaves, and I am left to finish making dinner in peace and quiet. I set the table, pour the drinks, and plate the food. And it's 5:50.

Everybody trickles down to the dining room and takes their places at the table. Ric thanks me for the food, as do Caroline and Jenna. But no one else, not even Stefan. I take my plate up to my room, and sit down to eat and study.

When I hear everyone come upstairs, I make my way back down to clean up. And, it's a mess. Someone spilled their wine and didn't bother to wipe any of it up. There's pasta everywhere. And I'm almost positive that the diners at this table were all under the age of twelve...or rather drunk. I'll go with the latter option, seeing as how the bottle of wine I used to pour their drinks is empty, as are three more bottles. It takes me an hour and a half to clean up their mess. And I'm completely wiped out.

I head to my room, and I can hear Damon and Katherine in his room. After all, it is right across the hall from my room. And, oh God, they aren't talking. Katherine is screaming in what I'm fairly certain is a fake orgasm. And then I hear Damon tell her to suck his cock. And I'm blushing, and, wow, I've never heard anyone talk like that, and it's...doing things to me. I'm feeling hot and wet and completely turned on. And, wait, I'm just standing here in the hallway, listening to a man that I'm pretty sure I'm supposed to hate having sex with his bitchy girlfriend. Snap back to reality, Elena. Come on.

I go in my room, close the door, and try to focus on studying calculus. But the noises that I can still hear coming from the room across the hall have me completely unfocused on angles and tangents, and more focused on wondering what it's like to have sex with Damon Salvatore. Funny thing is, I'm going to find out soon enough. And just yesterday, I was dreading that moment. But right now, this very moment, I'd let him take me in a heartbeat. Because, Katherine is certainly enjoying it. And, he is insanely hot. And obviously experienced.

And, damn it, I can't do this. I close my book, and decide to call it an early night. I get ready for bed, climb up into the the mound of plush pillows, putting one of them over my head, and try to focus on sleeping.

But I have a long night ahead of me. The space between my legs is aching like it's never ached before. And Damon and Katherine don't sound like they're going to be stopping their sexcapades anytime soon. For the first time ever, I reach down and touch myself through my panties. They are soaking wet. I feel strong sensations, like jolts of electricity, coursing through my body. And before I know it, my whole body is shaking and I am biting my lip so I don't scream, as my first orgasm wreaks beautiful, heavenly havoc on my body. I fall asleep to the sound of Damon groaning as he orgasms, and it's the sexiest thing I've ever heard.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Oh my! As usual, thank you all so so much for the reviews, the favorites, and the follows. They are such strong motivation to me. So strong, in fact, that here's a new chapter! Just a warning, this one gets a little dark. There's some light torture. Nothing really graphic, but dark, nonetheless. I hope you all enjoy! **

Chapter 5: I Spy

* * *

Damon's POV

I can feel her shaking my arm, whispering my name with each shake. But my head is about to explode, and I think that if I move, the contents of my stomach are going to come flying out my mouth. So, I just grunt. That's all I can do right now, and even that's difficult. Maybe all the wine wasn't such a wise idea last night. Or maybe it was the scotch we drank afterwards. And I'm positive there was a nightcap of mind-blowing sex with Kat in there somewhere.

Speaking of Kat, she's gone. She left earlier, kissing me on the cheek on her way out, and telling me she had a meeting she had to go to or some shit. I don't know. All I know right now is that Elena is standing next to me, and I'm naked, and I have morning wood that is prominently on display. Fucking great.

"Um, Dam-Mr. Salvatore, I have your breakfast," she whispers, but even that is too loud. I just grunt again. And then I hear her leave the room.

She comes back a couple of minutes later with aspirin and water and some fucking nasty looking green stuff in a glass. "What...is that?" I manage to croak out. I'm still laying down, but I've opened one eye. Barely.

"Well, my dad used to get drunk a lot, and I would make this for him. It's to help with the hangover." Great. Hand it over. I don't care if it's fucking rat piss, if it'll cure the throbbing I'm currently feeling around my whole goddamn skull, I'll drink it.

I manage to sit up a little, and start gagging. And Elena is there with a trashcan and a disgusted look on her face. And I haven't even done anything. And I don't. And that just makes it even worse.

I take the aspirin and water first. It takes me at least three minutes to finally swallow the pills. Damn gag reflex. Then I take the glass of mystery miracle, and I start to drink it. And, oh my God, it's horrible. And I'm gagging, but I force myself to power through it in the name of being able to function. I down the whole thing, and then, the gagging commences again.

"I also brought you breakfast." Screw breakfast. I'm not hungry.

"No thanks." I mutter, and she nods and leaves. I pull the covers over my head and wait for the miracle drink to do its wonders.

* * *

Elena's POV

I'm actually thankful that Damon was as hungover as he was. Otherwise, I'm sure he would've seen how badly I was blushing. I couldn't stop thinking about last night, and then to make matters worse, there was a tent in the sheets where he had an obvious erection. Not awkward at all.

I take his breakfast and put it in the refrigerator, so he can eat it when he's hungry later. I have more experience with drunks than I care to think about. My brother and my dad liked to get wasted when they weren't expected to be anywhere. Dad was always at his worst when he was drunk. And afterwards, I got to play nursemaid to them both. Just like I did for Damon this morning.

I even gave Damon my dad's hangover miracle cure. It's not pretty, and I've tasted it, and it tastes even worse than it looks. But, apparently, it's the perfect concoction to get rid of that nauseous feeling and at least make the drinker somewhat functional. The ingredients include spinach and everything but the kitchen sink.

I saw Katherine leave earlier. She must not have had as much to drink as everyone else last night. Because, she seemed to be functioning perfectly fine. I was in the kitchen when she left, and thankfully, she didn't see me, because she probably would have asked me to carry her bags out to her car.

Everyone else is still asleep. Everyone, including Ric who is supposed to be in our room right now. Instead, I'm sitting here studying alone.

An hour later, Ric finally joins me at the table. He looks better than Damon, but I can tell he's still feeling like crap.

"So...what are you studying right now?" He asks and rubs his temples.

"Anatomy," I say, and he groans and puts his head down on the table. "You know, if you want, you can go back to bed. I'll stay in here and study till noon."

He thinks it over for a minute. "I appreciate the offer, but I'm your teacher, and I need to be responsible." He sits up a little taller, and immediately puts his hands on his head. "On second thought, I'll just be right over here." And he crawls over and lays on the floor. And five minutes later, he's out. So much for responsiblity.

I do as I said I would, and I study until noon. I don't wake Ric up, even though I know he'll wake up sore from laying on the bare floor, but I know he needs to sleep it off.

Stefan and Caroline are still asleep in Caroline's room, and Jenna is down in the kitchen making coffee. And I'm pretty sure she just broke something. I decide to start my chores in Damon's room.

I wonder if the magic drink worked. Apparently, it did, because when I enter his room, he's not there. He's not in his bathroom, either. I figure he must have gone to work. Although, I'm pretty sure that wasn't a great idea.

I start dusting his furniture, when I notice his laptop is sitting on a table, open and turned on. Ignore it, Elena. Don't be doing things that are guaranteed to get you into trouble. I'm about to listen to the voices in my head, when I notice that an email is on the screen, and it's from my Uncle John. And then, my curiousity gets the best of me.

I sit on a chair in front of the table and start reading the email. I find out, through the email, that John paid Damon $500,000 to take me. So, basically, he used my trust fund to sell me off. That money was supposed to be used by me when I was eighteen. How John got his grubby little hands on it, I don't know. He also mentions that he paid Damon good money to do what he requested. Which was what?

I am so completely caught up in reading this email, that I don't hear anyone enter the room. But I hear someone clear their throat, and I jump. And then, I'm face to face with two blue eyes that are full of fury.

* * *

Damon's POV

The little bitch. I leave my room for a few minutes to get some fresh air, and she decides to go snooping around. She's probably going to be wishing here pretty soon that her little miracle cure wasn't so miraculous. Because she is about to pay dearly.

"What the fuck do you think you're doing!?" I yell.

She's scared. For the first time since she's been here, I see genuine fear written all over her pretty little face. "I-I-I'm sorry."

Really? That's it? "Sorry isn't going to help you right now, you fucking bitch."

I walk closer to her, and she backs away from the chair she was sitting at. I look and see what she was so caught up in reading...the email from John.

"You're reading my personal email. Huh...I didn't realize your name was Damon Salvatore." I glare at her with a snarl and fiery eyes.

"I just saw that it was from my Uncle John and I-"

I cut her off. "You what? You thought you'd invade my fucking privacy to read something that shows how fucking unloved you really are?" Part of me regrets those last words as soon as they come out of my mouth. But I am so incredibly pissed right now, that I don't really care if her feelings are hurt.

She looks down at the ground and clenches her fists at her side. I struck a nerve. "You are going to be severely punished for your indiscretions, Cupcake."

I grab her arm with enough force to cause her to cry out. But I don't ease my grip. I just drag her down the stairs to a little room near the garage. The walls are soundproof. And there are restraints hanging from various places on the walls and the ceiling. There are shelves along the walls holding various devices that Elena will become very familiar with very soon.

"Welcome to a little room we like to call, The Cell." I pull her over to a set of restraints on the wall facing the door and chain her arms up in them. "This is where we bring girls, like yourself, who don't want to follow the rules."

"P-Please, I said I was sorry. I won't do it again. I promise." She says, while looking at the items lining the shelves. She's trembling, and I know she's scared. And she should be.

"Apology...not accepted."

I make sure her restraints are locked tightly around her wrists, and I turn to leave the room.

"Wes will be in here later to introduce you to some of the things you see on the shelves. You will be here until further notice."

I close the door, lock it, and walk away. Wes is always in charge of the girls when they get put in the cell. He knows how to inflict pain and where he can inflict the most pain. Elena is strong, but she won't be able to stay strong under the fine skill of Dr. Maxfield.

* * *

Elena's POV

This room is freezing. And my arms are already starting to ache from being chained above my head. I should never have let my curiosity get the best of me. I should never have even looked at the screen on Damon's laptop. I should have just closed it and moved on.

I don't know when Dr. Maxfield is coming, and the anticipation is making my heart pound. My goal is to stay strong, to not break. I've taken beatings and abuse from my dad, surely I can withstand this. I just have to do what I did back at home and disassociate myself from the situation.

At home, I would think about exploring Willy Wonka's Chocolate Factory. That was one of the few movies I got to see growing up. I would imagine that I was running through the factory, eating everything in sight, drinking the chocolate milk river, climbing in trees made of candies that I'd never even tasted. I would imagine how they would taste. Anything to get my mind off of the pain.

I'll do the same here. Only here, I'll think of how much I hate my Uncle John. I'll think of everything I would say to him to show him I despise him. I will think of all the ways I would make his life the living hell that he's made mine.

I glance around the room again, and on the shelves are whips of various types, items that I can't quite figure out, and there, on a shelf on the far end of the wall to my left, is my worst fear...the baseball bat. Dad used it once. Only once. He had never been that violent before, and he never was that violent again. But, the scars are still there, physically and mentally. And baseball bats scare the hell out of me to this day.

I think a few hours have passed by, and I'm starting to really hurt. My arms are killing me, and I keep wanting to doze off, but when my head nods, I get excrutiating pain in my shoulders.

Finally, I hear the door being unlocked and opened, and in walks Dr. Creepy himself. He is wearing a white lab coat, scrubs, and a sadistic grin. And I wish I could run.

"I hear somebody has been a very bad girl." He says as he grabs a pair of scissors. "It's my job to show you what happens when you're bad. But first, I have something I need to take care of."

He walks over to me with the scissors and bends down. "See, I can't punish you properly if you're wearing clothes. I'll leave your underwear on. And I'm not going to rape you. I'll save that for Damon."

My whole body is trembling as he cuts away my shirt. Then he slides my shoes and socks off and slides my pants down. I want to cry, but I don't. I've never been this exposed in front of a man before. And the last person I want to be this bare in front of is Dr. Maxfield.

"I would prefer if you don't scream. It hurts my ears. But if you absolutely must, then do it. No one is going to hear you." He puts my clothes in a pile by the door, and then he walks over to one of the shelves and grabs something that looks like a thick wand. He pushes a button on the side, and it starts making little popping noises.

"Let's begin, shall we?"

He stands in front of me and lowers the wand to my thigh, and it sends a painful electrical shock to that spot. He does this in various places on my body. And so far, I'm succeeding in looking strong. So, he moves on to something else.

My whole body feels like it's on fire right now. Wes grabs a metal bucket and leaves the room with it. He comes back a minute later, and I see that he's filled the bucket with ice. He walks over to me again and puts ice cubes on my legs and my stomach and then he forces several of them inside my mouth. They are painfully cold. The he puts the metal bucket, filled with the remaining ice cubes, in between my thighs. My body is shaking uncontrollably and my muscles are tightening up.

He goes over to another shelf and grabs a blow dryer. He plugs it in next to me, and turns it on. And, as each ice cube melts on my legs, he blows streams of heat onto my frozen skin. And it burns like fire. And, it's time to think about John. Time to take myself away. But it only does so much. And, I'm not screaming, but there are tears streaming down my cheeks. Wes just chuckles.

"I think that's enough for right now." He says, as he puts the blow dryer back on the shelf. "You get no food tonight. Sleep well, Elena." And then, I am enveloped in total darkness. And I can't stop shaking, and I can't sleep because of the pain. I can only sit here in agony.

The torture goes on for what feels like days. I really don't know how long it's been. I can't tell when it's day or when it's night. I just know my body is tired, my mind is tired, and I want out of here so badly. I haven't seen or heard from Damon since he brought me in here. And I haven't had a proper meal since I've been in here...just some bread and water here and there. I'm bruised and sore, but I'm still staying strong. And Wes is starting to get frustrated.

Wes comes in to give my daily dose of torture for today, He keeps trying to up the ante, thinking I'll break. But he doesn't know who he's dealing with. He thought the whips would do it, but I've been whipped more times than I can count. It was easiest to take myself away from the situation then.

Today, he comes over and unchains my arms from the wall. And just when I'm thinking that I'm finally getting out of here, he pulls me over to the center of the room and a new set of restraints. These are hanging from the ceiling and when he gets my wrists cuffed in, my toes barely touch the ground. My arms are in such tremendous pain, I can barely breathe.

"What am I going to do with you today? You just don't want to give in. I'm running out of ideas here." He looks around the room, and his eyes land on the baseball bat.

No! No! God, no! Not that. I try to struggle, but my arms are too weak.

"Please, please, not that." I plead as he grabs the bat off the shelf.

"Ahh, it seems I've found your weakness." He walks around me, dragging the baseball bat on the ground, so all I can hear is the metal scraping against the concrete floor of the room. He keeps walking around me, as if we're playing a twisted game of Duck, Duck, Goose. And then, I feel it. He's hit me in my knees. And I scream as pain shoots through my body.

There is no amount of disassociation that will keep my mind away from the pain I'm feeling now. And now, Wes is back to walking around me, scraping that bat on the floor. My tears are dripping down my body, and I don't think I can be strong much longer.

And just when he's about to strike me again, the door opens. It's Damon.

* * *

Damon's POV

As soon as I open the door, I can hear her sobs. I see Wes has moved Elena from the wall to the middle of the room. She's in nothing but her underwear, but I pay no attention to that. All I can see right now, is a girl who's bruised and bleeding and scared. And that was my whole intention. But, as I see the pain and fear etched in her expression, as I see the glimmer of hope in her eyes when she sees me, I can't help but feel sorry for her.

She's been in here for three days. Although, I'm sure to her, it felt like an eternity. And it's been long enough. She's obviously learned her lesson.

"Wes, that's enough. I'll take it from here."

Wes puts the bat back on the shelf and leaves the room. I walk over to Elena, and she starts sobbing even harder, and her whole body is shaking, and she looks horrible.

I reach up and unchain her, and I know this is going to hurt her like hell, but I lower her arms down. Slowly, carefully, but as I do it, she screams out in pain.

"Make it stop, please. Please, please make it stop hurting." And I'm sure she means for that to come out strongerr, but it comes out in a small, pitiful, child-like voice.

I pick her up and carry her upstairs to her room, laying her in her bed.

"I'll be right back. I'm going to get you some food." Although, I won't get her too much. I know if I try and feed her as much as she would probably like, her stomach will reject most of it. I return minutes later with a small bowl of chicken soup. And I spend the next half hour feeding it to her.

She hasn't stopped crying since I took her out of the cell. I knew exactly what Wes would do to Elena when I took her in there. I wanted her hurt. But maybe, I didn't want her hurt like this. Maybe, I don't want her broken. There's no fire in her eyes right now, only pain and tiredness.

I walk to my room across the hall and grab a bottle of pills out of my medicine cabinet. I grab a glass of water and take the pills and the water back to her room.

"Elena," I say softly, gently, "I have something I want you to take. This is a painkiller, ok? It'll allow you to get some rest."

For some reason, she looks afraid.

"Hey, hey," I run my hand gently through her hair, "You need to rest, Elena. You need to rest so that you can heal."

She looks into my eyes for a moment, before weakly nodding. I put the pill in her mouth and tilt the glass of water, so that she is able to take the painkiller. And then, I sit beside her bed until she falls asleep a few minutes later.


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Well, folks, here's chapter 6 for your viewing and reading pleasure. I hope you enjoy it! It took me a while to write this chapter, and I'm not sure if I'm completely happy with it, but I'm happy enough. As always, thank you thank you THANK YOU for your beautiful reviews, as well as the favorites and follows. They mean so freaking much to me. Really.**

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Chapter 6: There's a First Time for Everything

Elena's POV

It's been exactly two weeks since Damon took me out of the cell. I've spent most of that time in my room, recuperating in my bed. Damon has been in every day to check on me, give me my pills, and to assure me that I don't need to get up and do my chores, that I just need to rest. Ric's brought in some schoolwork for me, and I appreciate that, because I get bored just laying in bed doing nothing.

For the first few days, Damon himself took care of me. He brought me food, water, and pain medicine and made sure I was comfortable. It was such a stark difference from the way he had treated me just a few days before. The hate I thought I would feel towards him dissipated with every kind deed. I mean, I'm not falling head over heels for him, but I don't despise him either.

This past week and the latter part of last week, he sent Jenna and Caroline to take care of me. And they've been wonderful nurses. Now, I'm just ready to be out of this bed and out of this room.

I want to get back into my normal routine. I want to put what happened in the cell behind me. At least I don't have to worry about seeing Dr. Creepy anymore. According to Caroline, Wes is moving out and Stefan will be taking his place in the house. Of course, Caroline is ecstatic, and I am thrilled for her. Stefan seems good for her.

Today, Jenna is playing nurse to me. It's just after three in the afternoon, and she is quizzing me on World War II dates. My head is finally clear now that I'm off of the pain medication. I can never thank Damon enough for giving me that medicine.

Speaking of Damon, there is a light knock on the door, and he walks in the room. Jenna closes my history book and leaves the room, shutting the door behind her.

"How are you feeling?" He asks with a smile, as he comes and sits down on the side of my bed.

"I'm feeling a lot better. Thanks." And I mean it. I really want to thank him for being so nice to me the past two weeks.

"Good. Do you think you're ready to start doing your duties again?"

"Yes!" I said that a little too enthusiastically, but hey, I'm tired of laying down. My right knee is still a little sore, but I can live with a little bit of pain.

"OK. Good. Then tomorrow I expect you to return to your normal routine."

I nod. I'm happy to be back in my routine. I kinda thrive on routine. Maybe it's the OCD in me.

* * *

Damon's POV

I'm glad to see Elena doing so much better. I've been avoiding her lately. That's just me. I run away from my problems. Sure, I've been in to see Elena each day, but only for a few minutes at a time. Otherwise, the guilt starts creeping in, and I don't know how to deal with that.

Also, I'm not the kind of guy who says I'm sorry. Ever. But I can damn well show it.

I interrupt the awkward silence that has shrouded the room to show her that I'm not a complete asshole. "Elena...I kicked Wes out."

Her eyes widen and she looks in my eyes to see if I'm lying.

"Caroline told me he left. She said that Stefan was taking his place. But she didn't say you kicked him out. Why?"

I shrug. "It needed to happen." And I leave it at that.

I don't want to have to explain myself. No. I'm not going to describe my reasoning behind kicking my friend out of this house, my house. I won't tell her that the baseball bat he used for batting practice on her knees had never been used on a girl before. It was a prop, a scare tactic, a ploy to get girls to cooperate, and something that I explicitly told Ric and Wes to never use.

Whipping-ok. Shocking-alright. But bashing someone's knees or anything else in with a fucking baseball bat is taking it too far. And this is my house, and I make the rules, and he broke them. And just like if he'd been a girl here who had gone too far, I made him leave.

And he tried to make excuses. She was "impossible" to break. Nothing he did worked. She wouldn't bend. I'll have to tell her next time that stubbornness isn't a very good trait to have when you're in the cell. I told him that I didn't fucking care if she'd laughed in his fucking face when he was torturing her, the baseball bat is and always has been off limits. Period.

"I, um, I don't know what to say." Elena stutters.

"Then don't say anything. You don't need to thank me. I didn't do it for you."

"Well, thank you anyway." She says with a little grin.

I grin back. "Get some rest."

"I will." She says with a yawn. I know she thinks she's ready to get back into the swing of things, but she's still tired and weak, I'm sure. I decide that I'll take it easy on her tomorrow.

I leave the room, closing the door behind me, and I tell Jenna not to bother going back in there for at least a couple of hours. History can wait.

* * *

Elena's POV

BZZZZZZ.

My alarm clock echoes in my head. I've been so accustomed to sleeping in the last two weeks, that it's incessant buzzing is a rather rude awakening this morning. I reach over and turn it off, and lay my head back down on my pillow.

When I open my eyes again, it's already 7:30. I panic, jumping out of bed, throwing on some clothes, brushing my teeth, and hobbling downstairs to get breakfast ready for Damon. I'm sure he's pissed at me. My first day back at my duties, and I don't even wake up on time.

I see myself in a mirror on the way to the kitchen, and I look like a troll. My hair is going every which way and it's a tangled mess, but I don't have time to bother with it. I get to the kitchen, whip up some scrambled eggs, toast, sausage, and brew a fresh pot of coffee.

I carry his food upstairs as fast as my legs will carry me, which isn't very fast considering my knee isn't wanting to fully cooperate. But I make it. I enter his room, and he's already up, working on his laptop. He looks up at me, and I fully expect him to yell at me for being late, but he doesn't.

"Elena. You're late." He says calmly.

"I know. I'm so so sorry. I fell back asleep on accident, and when I woke up, it was already late, and I promise it won't happen again." The words just spew out of my mouth, and I'm not sure if any of them made sense.

"It's okay. I'll let it pass today...Nice hair."

I blush, as he looks at me with an amused expression on his face. I place his tray of food on the table in front of him, while wondering what he ate when I was incapacitated. He starts eating immediately after I set the tray down. Whatever he ate the last two weeks must not have been very good, because he's eating like I'm gonna take his tray away any second.

I leave the room, and make my way down to the school room. Ric's waiting for me with a smile on his face.

"Hey, you, good to see you back in here."

"Thanks. It's good to be back." It really is. I've missed my time with Ric.

We study psychology for two hours, and then we move on to calculus, which Ric knows nothing about. So, I'm on my own. After a couple of hours of formulas and problems that take a page and a half to solve, I'm done. Just done. My brain has ceased functioning. Who needs calculus anyways?

Ric seems to be done, too. We end our session thirty minutes early, and I head to my room to put my things away. On the way there, I run into Stefan, who is in the process of moving his boxes into Caroline's room.

"Hi. Elena!"

"Hi, Stefan. Welcome to the house."

"Thanks. I'm happy to be here. I mean, Damon didn't have to ask me twice if I wanted to move in with my girl." He says and gives Caroline a kiss on her cheek. She giggles in delight, and happiness exudes from her like rays of sunshine. Her ability to be so unflinchingly happy and exuberant all the time still scares me a little. But I'm happy for her.

And hello, awkward silence. "Well, I'm gonna let you get settled in. It's good to see you again, Stefan."

"You too, Elena." And with that, I go to my room, put my things down, and carry on with my day.

Four hours later, I've managed to clean most of the common areas of the house, but I didn't get to Damon's room. My knee has me moving slow today. And now, it's time for me to start on dinner. I get all of the ingredients I need to make a good steak dinner and commence with cooking.

I set the table with enough spots for everyone but me, and just like clockwork, everyone trickles down and takes their seats. I bring the food out from the kitchen and set it down. And I swear I see Damon salivating. The poor people must be starving, since I'm fairly certain I'm the only girl that cooks here. And I doubt any of the guys cook either.

I take my plate and start walking towards the stairs when Damon calls me back.

* * *

Damon's POV

"Elena. You can eat with us." She's earned it. She was a real trooper today, even if she didn't wake up on time or clean my room. The fact that she got the crap beat out of her two weeks ago, and she still actually got up and tried to go about her routine has earned her a place at the table.

I can tell that her knee is still bothering her in the way that she is limping slightly. She sets her plate and drink down at the spot next to Stefan and takes her seat. We are all silent as we start eating. It's been too long since we've had a meal this good. When Elena was bedridden, I did the cooking, but it pales in comparison to this. This is glorious.

"Who taught you to cook like this? My God!" Jenna says exactly what I was thinking.

Elena looks down, something about the question bothers her. "I taught myself. And I had a friend that taught me some, too."

"Wow! Your family must have been so freakin' lucky. Your mom probably never had to cook...or never wanted to...not if you cooked food like this." Caroline says, all bubbly and happy and super annoying.

They keep talking about her cooking and how their mom's cooking compared to Elena's cooking. And how Elena should give cooking lessons, and how Elena's mom would probably be an awesome cook if she had a few lessons from Elena. And the whole time, I'm watching her, and she's picking at her food, with a sad look on her face, and her fork is shaking in her hand.

"My mom can't cook, because my mom is dead!" She yells out, as she throws down her fork, gets up and runs up the stairs. And then, everyone is silent. Good going, guys.

Everyone looks at me with worried expressions. I'm sure they think that I'm going to go upstairs and punish Elena for being so blatantly disrespectful. But I'm not. I'm still somewhat shocked from her reaction. She's usually so in control of her emotions. I'm not going to give her another reason to hate me right now. I'll give her a few minutes to cool down, and then I'll go check on her.

Jenna and Caroline agree to clean up the kitchen and dining room together, while Ric and Stefan and I go have a glass of whiskey together in the lounge upstairs. The whiskey is only a temporary distraction from the drama that I'm sure I'm going to face from the brunette beauty upstairs.

An hour later, Stefan and Ric call it a night. I make my way down the hall to Elena's room, entering without knocking. Talking about what happened isn't optional at this point.

She's sitting on her bed, dressed in a tight, little black camisole and short white shorts that show off her long, slender legs. And it would be a complete turn on, if it weren't for the still present bruise on her right knee. But that doesn't mean that I'm not still feeling my one-eyed monster come alive. He's alive and kicking...at my pants.

Gotta keep that shit under control for now, though.

"Are you ok?" I ask, as I go and sit on her bed, facing her.

"Yeah. I'm fine. I'm sorry about the way I acted earlier. Can we just get the punishment over with, please? I'm really tired." And she is. I can see it in her expression, in her eyes, in the way her body is slumped over like it's taking all the energy she has just to sit up.

"No punishment. Not tonight." She looks up at me with surprise and confusion written on her face. I leave it at that, satisfied that she's sorry, and stand up to go.

As I'm walking towards her door, I hear her call my name, barely above a whisper. I stop and turn to look at her. She's looking at me nervously.

"Can I-can I ask you something?" She looks down, fidgeting with her fingers.

"Well, that depends on the question you're asking."

"When I first came here, you mentioned my other, um, duties with you." She pauses. "And, I was just wondering when you were going to have me fulfill those duties with you." She blushes a bright shade of red.

"Well, you're on the pill and your test came back clean. I guess whenever I'm ready. Why are you asking?"

"What if-I mean, I think I'm ready now. And I wanted to show you how thankful I am for you being nice to me. And I know how much guys like sex, so I thought I would thank you with that. But if you don't want to, then I understand..."She just keeps rambling on and on, and her cheeks are burning cherry red right now.

"Elena. I do want to. Believe me. But there are some rules-"

She rolls her eyes. "Of course there are."

"Elena...You're on my good side right now. Do not mess it up with your attitude." I warn. But really, it's good to see the pre-cell Elena coming back, that little spark of fire. But she doesn't need to push it. She knows not to.

I stand beside her bed, and she's staring straight at the wall in front of her. I have to have rules...boundaries. I have to have control of the situation. Can't have things getting out of hand.

"So. Are you willing to listen now, or should I just leave? Because if you're not fucking serious as hell about this, then you shouldn't have brought it up." I can feel my temper starting to flare. One second she's basically asking me to fuck her, and the next, she's mad because I simply said I have a few rules. I haven't even told her what the rules are yet. God damn it.

"I'm listening." And she's still staring at the wall.

"Rule number one: There will be no kissing. I kiss one girl, and one girl only, and that girl is my girlfriend. Number two: Your pleasure is not important to me. You are here to make me happy. You are here to get me off. You'll do what I want, when I want, and nothing else. This is fucking, not making love. It's not going to be pretty, no roses or candles or fucking lame ass love songs. Last, and most important, if I come to you for sex, it's because I need it, and you damn well better deliver." I'd really meant for those rules to come out less hostile, but her attitude is really starting to piss me off.

"Fine. I agree to your rules. Now what?"

"Well, now that you got me all worked up, little cupcake, we fuck."

I climb in the bed, and she scoots away a little.

"Stand up, Elena, right in front of me." I lean back against her headboard with my hands behind my head, as she does what I asked.

"Now, take your clothes off." She freezes momentarily, before slowly taking off her camisole and shorts. She's standing in front of me in her underwear, and I take a minute to appreciate her tight little body.

"All of them, Cupcake." I say with a smirk. She reaches back and undoes her bra, letting it fall to the floor. And I get a brief glimpse of her perfect, perky breasts, before her arms fly up to cover up her chest.

"Don't hide from me, Elena." My voice is hoarse with desire. Her cheeks are a rosy red color, and she looks so chaste standing there like that. But chasteness is not something that girls that come here are known for. If I didn't know any better, I'd say she was a virgin, but no man in their right mind would send their virgin daughter here. Or virgin niece. Everyone who brings a girl here knows beforehand what happens behind closed doors. Elena is no exception. John Gilbert knew when we talked on the phone what he was signing Elena up for.

She's still in her white, cotton panties, and I'm still waiting for her to take them off, but she seems frozen in her place.

"Elena, cupcake, you're still not naked. I'm waiting." That breaks her out of her trance, and she slips off her panties. Her cheeks are redder than ever, and she's still trying to cover up her nakedness with her arms. Her body looks even more glorious now that she's completely bare in front of me.

"Come here, Elena." She walks slowly over to me, and I can see her body trembling slightly. "Lay down." She lays down right beside me on the bed, and I reach over and run my hands over her body, taking the time to enjoy the feeling of her soft breasts and the heat radiating from her pussy. Her skin is so creamy smooth, but now that I see her up close, I see faint outlines of scars in various places on her body. I assume they're left over from her time in the cell. I'm so fucking glad Wes is gone.

I pull my shirt over my head and unbuckle my pants. I pull her to me and gently push her head down to my hips. "Suck me, Elena. I want to know what that pretty little mouth of yours feels like on my cock." She looks at me, and for the briefest second, I see a hint of lust in her eyes.

She reaches in my pants, and since I'm going commando, she has immediate access to me. She pulls my cock out of my pants, and barely licks it. Then she looks over at me again and just licks the tip. And she's going way too slow for my liking. I weave my fingers through her hair and push her head down on me. She gags before I'm even a quarter of the way into her mouth. And then I feel teeth scraping me.

I yank her head back by her hair, ready to knock her fucking teeth out, when I see she's looking at me with fear in her eyes. I'll give her a second chance.

"Watch. The. Teeth." Castration by bite isn't on my list of things to do today.

I push her head back down on me, and she's still gagging, and before she can use those teeth again, I tell her to breathe through her nose and relax. And she does, but she still can only get half of my cock in her mouth. She must be used to the puny little dicks of the boys at her old high school. I'm sure I look massive to her. And not to brag, but I am above average, or so I've been told.

After a few minutes of her sad attempt at cocksucking, I pull her up to me, flipping us over, so that I am on top. I reach down and position myself at her entrance, and I'll be damned if she isn't nice and wet and ready for me. I push in, and holy fuck, her pussy is so tight it's almost painful.

She has her eyes closed tightly, and God damn, she feels so fucking great. I pull out a little and push back in with more force, burying myself in her, as she screams out and grabs my arms. I look down, trying to control myself, and I see the glimmer of tears in the corners of her eyes.

I pull out again, and just as I'm about to push back in, I see it. Blood. Blood in streaks on my cock, spots of blood on the sheets between her legs. I can't fucking believe it. She was a virgin. And I am filled with disgust for John Gilbert. He sent his niece here knowing full well that she would have her virginity taken from her.

I push in slowly this time, because I am past the point of no return, and I let her adjust to me. I thrust in and out slowly a few times, before starting to speed up my thrusts, feeling her wetness on me. And I wish I could stop, but I'm too far gone now. I need her. I feel my balls tightening, and I know my release is close. I thrust in one final time before I come, calling out her name, and collapsing on her as aftershocks cause my cock to pulse inside her.

As I come down from my high, I pull out of her, my release leaking out of her pussy onto her sheets. She sits up as soon as I am off of the bed. She sees the blood on the bed, and there is panic in her eyes.

"Damon, Damon, I'm-I'm bleeding." And, damnit, she looks so scared.

"That happens your first time. It's normal. Relax." She takes some deep breaths, processing everything that just happened. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"I didn't think it would matter. It was going to happen eventually, anyway"

"I would have been a little more gentle." I say quietly. I wouldn't have gone all caveman on her, that's for sure.

She smiles at me a little and reaches down, pulling something off of her finger. "I need to give you something."

She rolls the item around in her fingers, looking at it with a look I've never seen on her face before. A look of uncertainty and grief and hesitance all rolled into one.

"My dad gave me this ring when I was thirteen. He said that my mom gave it to him on their wedding night. And he told me to um, to give it to the man who I-who I gave myself to. I know it's probably nothing to you, but it's supposed to be something tangible you can hold on to that signifies what you took from me." Her voice is small and quiet, and there's not a hint of anger in her voice. She holds a small, silver ring out to me. It has a small diamond in the center. And now it's my turn to be frozen in place.

I guess she takes my lack of action as me rejecting her offer, because she pulls the ring back to her, with her head down. "I mean, if you don't want it, I understand. It's nothing really, and I'm sure it's not really important to you."

I reach out and take her hand, gently, taking the ring from her. I squeeze her hand once, because for the time being I am completely speechless. And with that, I grab my clothes off of her floor, throwing my boxers and pants on, and placing the ring in the front pocket of my pants.

When I get to my room, I take the ring from my pocket, putting it on a slim, silver chain that I keep around my neck. I take the necklace off, and put it on my nightstand, but I can't take my eyes off of the small silver circle hanging off of the chain and what it means. And I spend a sleepness night wondering what I've gotten myself in to.


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Finally finished Chapter 7. This one took me a while, simply because life had me busy with other things. And also, because I kept changing things. But I wanted to finish it, because the next chapter has me insanely excited. I've been waiting since I started the story to write the next chapter.**

**I had a reviewer mention re: the last chapter that they didn't really understand how everything was fine between Elena and Damon after Damon brought Elena out of the cell. And I PM'ed the reviewer with an explanation, but I hope that this chapter helps explain it to all of you.**

**And, of course, THANK YOU to all who've favorited, followed, and reviewed my story. I wish that I could hug you all!**

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Chapter 7: When The Past Comes Back to Bite

Elena's POV

It's been almost two months since Damon first had sex with me. And since then, there's been a definite change in the dynamics of our relationship, or whatever you want to call it. It's been subtle, but there are definite differences.

For one, we agreed that we would be on a first name basis from here on out. Not that I ever really got into the whole deal with calling him Master or Sir, but it's nice to have the okay from him to call him Damon all the time. Also, he asked Caroline to go buy me some clothes. Well, a whole new wardrobe really. I didn't get to go with her, but everything she brought back fit perfectly. And she snuck in a few very risque pieces of lingerie that I wouldn't be caught dead in. I guess she thought Damon would like them. Too bad Damon will never see them.

Now, don't get me wrong, things aren't all bright and sunny. I'm still expected to do my duties around the house. I hardly ever get to go outside, and I've only left the house once with Ric to take a calculus test.

As far as Damon goes, some days are better than others. He hasn't hit me since I've been in the cell. But, he still gets irritated with me a lot, and I get minor punishments, but nothing severe. Usually, he'll give me a few extra chores here and there. Every now and then, if I really piss him off, he'll make me skip dinner.

We only have sex in my room. Damon says that his bed is reserved for Katherine and Katherine only. Although, she's never here. Ever.

We don't have sex every night. We have sex on the nights when he comes home from work really stressed out. Those are the nights that he is more forceful, primal, where I feel like he may split me in two, where I close my eyes and go to my happy place until it's over. Those are the nights where he comes to my room smelling like bourbon and leaves with a drunken saunter.

He uses the nights he's more relaxed to teach me. Some nights he'll give me lessons in oral sex, and how to keep from gagging and what feels good and how to use my hand and mouth simultaneously to please him. Other nights, he'll teach me a new position. Some of them even feel good to me. But, he still hasn't let me orgasm. All of this is for him, like he said.

I know he doesn't have any feelings involved in having sex with me. And I know that I'm basically his sex toy. But I get the feeling, especially on those nights when he's stressed out, that he truly needs me. I see it in his eyes sometimes, a pleading look, like he's in anguish, silent words asking me to be there for him as he's thrusting into me. And I am. I let him be with me until his need is met.

And I'm well aware of the fact that I'm acting differently, too. And I can't explain all of the changes in me. I can't completely explain why I seemed to do a complete 180. One day I'm saying that I'll never have sex with Damon Salvatore, that I'll never give my body to him, and the next day, I offer myself to him. I think it all boils down to my daddy issues.

In some weird way, Damon meets my needs, too. He makes me feel wanted and needed, and I know it's not his intention for me to depend on him like that. But I do. Growing up, I didn't have that. I had a dad who didn't care about me, a brother who despised me from the day I was born, and an extended family who were the perfect picture of dysfunction. Damon and I, we're two needy people. Although, neither one of us seems to have the ability to vocalize our needs, we just seem to know.

For instance, when Damon comes to me, I get the sense that he's trying to fill a void. And I can fulfill every need he has, except that one...I cannot love him. I can't love him, because I won't love someone who doesn't love me. But, even more than that, I don't know if I know how to love.

There is one woman in his life right now who should be meeting Damon's needs, and she's coming over today. Katherine is supposed to be the person that makes him feel loved. It's her job to make him feel important, and it's her job to show him that she needs him just as much as he needs her. At least that's what I envision when I think of love.

I can only be here for him so much. I can fulfill his needs sexually, but I can never fulfill his need for love. Not when I can't give it, and he won't accept it. But sometimes, when I see that pleading in his eyes, the pure need, I wish I could be the one to give that to him.

* * *

Damon's POV

It's only noon, and I've already had three glasses of bourbon. Katherine's coming over today. Not only is she coming over, but we're going out of town together. I have business out of town over the next few days, a client needs to meet with me to discuss an enticing investment opportunity. What I haven't told Kat yet, is that Elena is also tagging along. And...I haven't told Elena yet, either. Damn, I need another drink.

I just made the decision to bring Elena along last night. I can't seem to get her out of my bed, and it's been like that for nearly two fucking months, ever since I took her virginity from her. She's the only virgin we've ever had here. And, even though I'd like to say I've deflowered my share of virgins, she was actually the first. What can I say, I liked women with a little more experience.

Not only did she give herself to me physically, she also gave me the ring that I wear every day around my neck. She thought I wouldn't care two shits about it, but I do. I know she didn't have to give it to me. She could've waited and given it to someone she loves, to someone who loves her.

I'm fidgeting with that ring as I walk to her room to let her know about the trip. Her door is open, and she's diligently dusting her furniture. I knock lightly on the wall, and she jumps a little in surprise.

"I didn't mean to scare you. I needed to talk to you about something. I'm going to be going out of town tomorrow. Katherine and I are going to New York City. I have business there that I need to take care of."

"Oh...Would you like me to pack your bag for you?" I shake my head, smiling at her thoughtfulness.

"No, Elena. Actually, I would like you to pack your own bag...for yourself. You're coming with us." I almost laugh out loud at the expression on her face. First, she looks suprised, then confused, then surprised again, and then shyly happy.

"You-you want m-me to go with you? Out of town? I've...I mean...wow...It's just that I've never even been out of Mystic Falls."

"Well, what better place to start your journey to the outside than the city that never sleeps." I say with a broad smile.

She smiles back at me, and it's amazing. It lights up the whole room, and I know that's ridiculously cliche, but it's true. I've never seen her smile like that before, and I wonder with all of the shit that she's been through, if Elena has ever smiled like that before.

"We're leaving tomorrow morning. Flight leaves at 9 AM, so be ready to leave by 6. Think you can do that?"

"Of course!" She smiles at me as I head towards her door. "Thank you, Damon." She says quietly, smiling. I turn and smile back at her, as she pulls her suitcase out of the closet.

I'll give her the rest of the day for herself. And I wish she could stay this happy, I do. But this trip is extremely important for me, and I can't have her in the way. She may be coming to New York City, but all of her sightseeing will be done out of the window of our penthouse suite. I'm not doing that to punish her, though.

I keep asking myself why I'm bringing her in the first place, if she's only going to be sitting in a hotel room all day, all night, doing nothing. But, she needs to get out. And this trip will help me see how much I can trust her when left to her own devices. However, if she tries to run away, then the cell is going to seem like paradise compared to what I'll do to her. Hopefully, it won't come to that.

* * *

Elena's POV

Katherine got here an hour and a half ago, and I've been able to hear her and Damon arguing across the hall ever since then. I know it has to do with me and the fact that I am tagging along on the trip. Katherine doesn't want me to come, and Damon said it's not up for discussion, and Katherine won't leave it alone. And I wish they would stop yelling.

I'm almost finished packing my bag. I didn't really know what to pack, but I chose some jeans and some nice shirts. I'm not sure what exactly I'll be doing on this trip, but jeans seem like they're always a safe choice. I zip up my suitcase, sitting on top of it to get those last few inches of zipper zipped. Maybe I packed a little too much, but it's not everyday that I get invited to go to New York City.

It's almost nine o'clock, and I'm already exhausted. I managed to get some studying in today, did some laundry, freshened up Damon's room, made dinner, and packed. I decide to call it an early night and go to bed.

When my alarm goes off at five, I'm already awake. I had another nightmare about Jeremy, and this one felt disconcertingly real. l could almost feel the pain of that night again. I could smell the smoke coming from the engine. l could see the bloody body of my brother, stuck to his seat, a massive tree branch protruding through the windshield, through Jeremy, through the leather seat of my brother's new Dodge Charger. I could hear screaming, before realizing that the horrific noises were coming from my mouth.

I crawl out of bed and slowly make my way to the bathroom. When I look into the mirror, I can see the dried tear tracks that trail down my face and the dark bags under my eyes. Thank God for Caroline and her overpriced makeup. I make myself look presentable and get dressed in my comfiest pair of jeans and a scoop neck, white, long-sleeved shirt.

When I get downstairs with my bag, Damon and Katherine are sitting at the dining table eating breakfast. If looks could kill, I'd be a dead woman right now, because Katherine is looking at me as if she'd like to take her butter knife and stab me with it. I just smile at them both and make my way to the kitchen to make myself something to eat. I decide to take my breakfast in the kitchen. I'd like to avoid the queen bitch as much as possible.

Stefan and Ric stumble into the kitchen, both evidently very hungover. If I had time, I'd make them some of the magical mystery cure, but I don't. Damon's standing in the entrance to the kitchen, looking very amused at the current state of his brother and his best friend.

"I told you boys not to mix beer with scotch, and now look at ya. Shoulda listened."

"Shut the fuck up." Stefan mutters, before groaning and grabbing his head.

"You shoulda told us not to mix beer with scotch and then do tequila shots. The tequila did me in. It's always the damn tequila." Ric looks like he's about to vomit. And Damon just laughs at him.

"Well, we're headed out. You boys hold the fort down while we're gone. Don't let your ladies get out of control." Damon says with a wink. "You know how much of a lush Jenna is. And Stefan...stay outta my room. Don't do anything I would do."

I take my suitcase and follow Damon as he goes outside. Katherine is waiting for us by Damon's car, a beautiful, blue, convertible Camaro.

"Nope. Wrong car, sweetheart." Damon motions over to a silver SUV sitting on the other side of the driveway.

"WHAT? We're not leaving my car at the airport! Not gonna happen. That's like leaving $75,000 out in the open, just waiting for someone to come along and take it. What's wrong with your car? It's so old, no one would want it anyway."

Damon rolls his eyes. "It's called a classic car, Kitty Kat. And there isn't room for the three of us and all of our, er, your bags. So unless you want Elena sitting on your lap along with all 20 of your bags, I suggest you listen to me." I can tell Damon's having a hard time keeping his anger under control.

"Well, you could always leave her here...where she belongs." What part of Damon saying 'it's not up for discussion' does she not understand?

"Katherine, God damn it, no one is going to take your fucking car. Will you stop being so damned difficult and just come on? It's three days, baby. Three fucking days, in a covered lot, with fucking security guards on patrol twenty four hours."

I take my bag over to Damon, and he throws it in the back of Katherine's Lexus. She stomps over to us, practically throwing her bags at Damon, before getting in the passenger seat and slamming her door. And I know that Damon is doing everything he can to keep from lashing out at her. This is going to be a long trip.

The ride to the airport is silent. Damon's whole body is tense, and Katherine is looking out her window, huffing every now and then to let Damon know that she's still mad at him.

Damon was right. Katherine has nothing to worry about. This parking lot is guarded like a prison. Damon parks the Lexus, and we all get our bags out of the back. Well, Katherine makes Damon carry hers, as if he doesn't have three of his own bags to hold on to.

I've never been to an airport before, and there are so many people here, I have to walk fast to make sure I don't get separated from Damon and lost in the sea of people. We get our bags checked and do all the important pre-flight mumbo jumbo, and then it's just a waiting game. Our flight doesn't start boarding for another half hour.

Katherine tells Damon that she's going to get a drink so that she can deal with his ass. Damon just nods curtly at her with a sneer on his face. Once she's finally out of view, Damon leans against the wall, taking in a deep breath and closing his eyes.

I take a minute to look around and soak up our surroundings. There are all sorts of shops and restaurants in here, newsstands, burger joints, shops with kitschy little souvenirs. And the throng of people rushing about it is almost dizzying.

"Don't tell me this is your first time at an airport." Damon says, now standing next to me. He must have noticed the look of awe on my face.

"Um, yeah, it is, actually."

"God, have you ever done anything? From what I know about your life so far, it was incredibly boring." Boring, not really. Hard...just hard.

"Yeah. I guess it kinda was. I didn't get out much." At all.

I'm watching the hordes of people walking by, and I see two men whose presence makes me want to scream. I want to run and hide. I want to throw up. I want to move, but I can't.

Finally, my body gets some motivation, and I grab Damon's hand in mine. He looks down at me, confused, and at first he tries to pry his hand away from mine. But, he must sense my panic...probably because I'm crushing his hand with mine and I'm sweating and God, I can't breathe.

The two men spot us, and I wish I could disappear. But if I have to be here right now, I'm glad I'm with Damon. It doesn't make a whole lot of sense to me, but I feel safe with Damon. I feel like he won't let someone else hurt me. Them.

Damon sees my dad, Grayson, and my Uncle John approaching us. I can see his face turn from me to them and back again, waiting for someone to talk. He changes the position of our hands, so that he is now holding my hand. He holds it tightly, securely.

"Well, well, well, we certainly didn't expect to run into you here." Right back at you, Uncle John.

I can't speak yet, words have completely escaped me.

"I don't believe we've met," my dad says, extending his hand to Damon, "I'm Dr. Grayson Gilbert, Elena's father." Damon shakes his hand, but he's eyeing him suspiciously.

"What are you two doing here?" John asks.

"We're going to New York. I have a business trip out there. Elena's accompanying my girlfriend, Katherine, and I." Damon's voice is steady and strong, in complete opposition to how I'm feeling.

And insert awkward silence. My tongue feels like it's made out of lead. John and Dad keep looking at me like they want to beat me right then and there. And they probably would, if we weren't in such a public setting.

"It seems my daughter's forgotten how to speak. Or at least how to show her dad how much she's missed him." Dad looks at me with a nasty sneer on his face, smiling at how uncomfortable I am.

"Damon should be making her a little more agreeable for you, Gray." John says with a chuckle. "How's that coming along, Damon?" There is a hint of accusation in his voice.

Katherine just walked up to us, and she's taken it upon herself to introduce herself to my dad and my uncle. But Damon stops her in her tracks.

"Katherine, I need to you to take Elena away from here for a few minutes. Go shopping or something. You're good at that." Damon says, without taking his eyes off of my dad.

Katherine scoffs, and is about to go off on Damon, when he cuts her off, "Go! Now!" And she doesn't argue. We walk a few feet away, and she pulls me behind a wide brick column within earshot of Damon, dad, and John. I guess she wants to eavesdrop. I try to ignore the conversation happening just a few feet away, but I can't.

* * *

Damon's POV

So, this is the man that gave his daughter up to his psychopath of a brother. John and Grayson are lucky we're in a public place, that's all I've got to say. I've never seen Elena so scared. Never. Not when she first got to the house, not when I had sex with her for the first time, not even when she was in the cell.

"Damon, Damon, Damon, I thought I asked you to break her. Elena looks far from broken to me." John tells me, accusingly.

I decide, in order to not make a scene, to play along with John and Elena's sperm donor. I have a flight to catch, and I'd rather not go to jail right now.

"John, trust me, I'm working on it. You'll get your wish." I smile my most charming smile.

"I better. I paid you plenty of money. That should be a proper motivation for you to hurry your ass up."

"See, that's just it, John. There's a method to my madness. Ya gotta take things slow. I'll be nice to her for a while, then I'll start breaking her down slowly, chipping away all the parts of her that make her, well, her."

"My daughter's strong. It's going to take a lot to break her down. Believe me, I know. I've tried and failed multiple times. But if anyone can do it, my brother here assured me, it's you." Her dad is obviously just as much of a scumbag as John.

"You two need to relax. I'm not gonna let you down. I think she's already starting to fall for me. And once she does, I'll turn the tables on her until she's just a shell of the person she is now. 'Cause nothing breaks a person down more than having someone they trust betray them." I'm pulling out all the stops here, praying they can't tell that I'm bluffing. I must be a good actor, because they're buying every word, hook, line, and sinker.

"You're the pro here, Damon. I know you'll teach that little whore a lesson." And I've never wanted to punch a person more than I want to punch John fucking Gilbert right this moment. Elena is anything but a whore. I've got to keep my anger under control, though, if I want to keep up this ruse.

"Well, my brother and I have a flight to catch, so we'll be in touch." John and Grayson turn to leave, and as they do, I see her.

Elena and Katherine are back. Katherine looks blissfully happy. She must be over our fight about her stupid fucking car. Elena, however, is pale...yet, her cheeks are blazing red. When I look into her eyes, filled with hurt and sadness and anger, I know. She heard everything.


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: Well, folks, here it is. Chapter 8. I hope you all enjoy it as much as I enjoyed writing it. **

**As always, thank you so so much for the reviews, the favorites, the follows, and the love. Keep it coming! Love to you all.**

* * *

Chapter 8: Happy Birthday

Elena's POV

Just like that any trust I had in Damon is gone. Anything I might have felt for him is gone. Any feelings of hope I had of him changing are gone. He's just playing me. He hasn't changed at all. It's all been a lie, an act.

This whole damn trip is part of his elaborate ploy to get me to "fall for him" so that he can break me. I think I need to sit down. I mean, God, my uncle paid someone to break me, to ruin me and turn me into an empty shell. Just when I thought life couldn't possibly throw me anymore curveballs.

Damon's just standing there, with a shocked expression on his face. I want to yell at him and hurt him the way he's planning on hurting me. I wish he knew how broken I already am. I hate him. I hate him so much right now. I'll have to remember to thank Katherine later for listening in on that conversation.

I can feel tears stinging the backs of my eyes. But I'm not going to let those tears fall. I won't show Damon the slightest sign that I'm falling apart. That's what he wants. That's his whole purpose. And I'm not going to let him break me. I'm not going to give that satisfaction to Damon or my uncle or my dad. I am Elena Gilbert, and my dad got one thing right, I am not easily broken.

* * *

Damon's POV

My legs seem to be cemented to the floor, cause I can't move. I can only stare at Elena and Kat, and wonder how the hell I'm going to get myself out of this mess. I know no possible explanation is going to matter to Elena, because she won't believe me.

And, God damn it, we're about to be on a plane, sitting right fucking next to each other. I don't know why Katherine couldn't listen to me, just this once, and get the fuck away from here. I'm sure she was trying to get back at me for the whole car ordeal. Why am I with her again?

This staring session has gone on far too long. We're going to miss our flight, because I can't fucking move, and Elena can't stop sending daggers through me with her eyes.

"Are we going to get on our plane or are we going to just stand here in the middle of the airport all day?" Leave it to Katherine to break the silence.

I walk to Katherine and Elena, and Elena finally looks away from me. We get to our terminal, board our flight, and prepare to takeoff.

I'm sandwiched between Katherine and Elena. Elena got the window seat, which sucks, because she isn't even going to enjoy it. She's too busy fidgeting, and it's driving me ape shit crazy.

"Will you please be still?" I try to say this as politely as possible, but it comes out with more than a hint of aggravation.

"No. I've never been on a plane before, and I'm a little nervous. And I'd really like it if you would leave me alone...Sir." Hmm...I see snarky Elena is back.

I am not in any mood to deal with Miss Attitude this whole flight. And it's not even a long flight. I mean, it's only an hour. But that's an hour too long to deal with Elena doing things to intentionally piss me off. I realize she's mad at me because of what she overheard, but none of that was true. And I'd really like to be able to explain that to her, like, now.

"Look, Elena. I know what you're thinking."

"So you know that I'm thinking that I hate you and that I wish I'd never agreed to come on this stupid trip?"

"Yes."

"Good. Then do what I asked and leave me alone."

I lower my voice and lean over to her so that only she can hear what I'm about to say, "I know you're pissed at me, and you have a right to be. I won't argue with that. But let's get one thing straight, cupcake. You do not ever order me around. We may be on a plane right now, but if you don't drop your pissy fucking attitude, you will have hell to pay when we get to our hotel room."

Good going, Damon. Way to show her that you aren't the monster she thinks you are. Anger management is definitely not my strong suit.

At least she gets my message. She ignores me the rest of the flight and stares out her window. Her hands are gripping her armrests and her whole body is tense. She's got a full on case of first flight jitters. It's a little hilarious. But I'm not in the mood to laugh.

Our plane lands uneventfully. We get our bags, meet our driver, and head to the hotel. We'll be staying in the penthouse suite at The Four Seaasons. As soon as we get up to the suite, Elena goes to her room and shuts the door. And it would suit me perfectly well if that's where she stayed this whole trip.

Katherine and I get settled in our master room. And by, get settled, I mean we break in the bed. The best part of being in the penthouse is that no one can hear us. Oh wait, Elena can hear us. Oh wait, I don't care.

Kat and I order room service and my fucking steak is overcooked. It doesn't compare to Elena's. Shit. Why can't I stop thinking about her? I have to go talk to her. I have to try to clear things up. I just don't want to. Everyone knows I like to avoid my problems, at all costs. But, I royally screwed up, and I need to fix this.

I need to fix this, because once upon a time I told Elena that an email from John Gilbert proved how unloved she was. And because, at the time, I didn't know how true that was. And, because, I didn't mean it. My mouth and brain aren't always connected.

After Katherine falls asleep, I seize the chance to talk to Elena without interruptions. Her door still has light seeping out from underneath it, so I'm guessing she's still awake. I open the door and walk right in her room.

She's sitting on her bed, writing in what I assume is her journal. She sees me, but continues writing. I sit in a plush armchair by her bed, and she's still ignoring me. I reach over and grab her journal out of her hand. And she just sits there, staring at me in unbelief. It's not like I'm gonna read it.

"Don't worry. Your secrets are safe. Besides, I don't need to read your journal to know how much you hate me."

She scoffs and rolls her eyes.

"Elena, what you heard earlier, at the airport...that...that wasn't true." I don't even know what to say. I realize I should have planned this out a little better.

"So, John didn't pay you off to-how did he put it-break me?"

"Well, yeah. That part's true. But what I said about betraying your trust...I didn't mean that. When you first came to the boarding house, yeah, I wanted to break you. But, now...I don't know, things are different." Come on, Damon. Use your words.

"How do I know this isn't part of your scheme? How do I know you're telling me the truth now? You see my problem here? You've lost my trust. Completely." She looks me in the eye as she says this. And I see that her eyes are red and puffy. She's been crying.

"I know. God...You weren't supposed to hear all of that. Katherine was supposed to take you far, far away from us. I just wanted to avoid making a scene in the airport with your dad and your uncle. I swear to God, I didn't mean what I said." I feel so fucking desparate for her to believe me. I can't remember ever feeling this way. And it bothers me. A lot.

"Maybe you're telling the truth. But like I said, you've lost my trust. And, why does it matter in the first place? I'm just another girl to you. It's not like you really care what happens to me. My uncle paid you half a million dollars to do everything he requested. That's what matters to you. I'm just another payday for you. That's it."

And I know, after that, that I'm not going to get through to her. Not tonight, anyway. I shake my head and go back to my room, pouring myself a glass of bourbon, and falling asleep with Elena's words still replaying in my head.

* * *

Elena's POV

I tried sleeping last night, but I couldn't get Damon's words out of my head. What if he's telling the truth? What if everything he did back at the airport was all just an act?

No. It couldn't be. I don't need to get my hopes up. He doesn't care about me. I'm just his toy, his little expirement.

I haven't left my room since we got here. Damon came in the room earlier and said that he had to go to his meeting. Katherine was going to go with him. I was also told that if I tried to run away, I would get caught, and my punishment would be considerably worse than my time in the cell.

This is not what I had envisioned when Damon said he was bringing me with him to New York City. I had pictured sightseeing, maybe some shopping, and definitely spending a lot less time in the hotel. I mean, the penthouse suite is incredibly nice and luxurious and like nowhere I've ever been before, but I'm stuck here.

When Damon and Katherine get back from his meeting, they both look happy, so I assume the meeting went well. I retreat back to my room, and they go to their room and celebrate...with sex...loud sex. Thankfully, I have a radio in my room, and I turn it on so that I don't have to hear Katherine screaming out Damon's name as she does an over the top fake orgasm. I wonder if Damon knows she's faking it. I wonder how I know she's faking it. I just...know.

Two hours have passed since they got back, and Damon just walked in to tell me that he and Katherine are going out to dinner. I am, of course, instructed to stay put. They'll be back in a few hours.

And as I hear them leave, I decide to do something I'm sure I'll regret later. But, right now, I'm pissed at Damon and Katherine and life, in general. If I'm on this trip, I deserve to have some fun, too. And, after all, a girl only turns eighteen once.

I walk into Damon and Katherine's room and head straight for the closet to find what I'm looking for. And there it is. Katherine and I are, as I've noticed, just about the same size. So, the tight fitting candy apple red dress that I found hanging in her closet should fit me perfectly. I put it on, and it fits like a glove. It hits me right in the middle of my thighs. The front of the dress is low cut, exposing more cleavage than I've ever shown before, while the back of the dress dips down to the small of my back. I've never worn anything like this before, and I feel a little self-conscious, but I'm going to live it up tonight.

If I'm going to get in trouble, may as well look good doing it. I also snag a pair of Katherine's stilettos. How does she walk in these things? I practice walking back and forth across the room in them, and then I go put on some red lipstick and smoky eyeshadow. I curl my hair, so that it falls in waves down my back.

I look in the mirror, and I look totally unlike me. And that's the whole point. This whole thing is totally unlike me, but for one night, I want to be someone else, just for tonight. I don't want to be Elena, whose whole family hates her. I don't want to be Damon Salvatore's personal experiment. I just want to be free. I leave the room, making sure I have everything, because I have no way of getting back in.

In my boredom, I read the hotel guide front to back this morning. I know there's a club across the street from the hotel. And that's where I'm headed.

I walk up to the door, and the giant of a man at the door doesn't even bother checking my ID. He just looks me up and down, smiles, and lets me through. That was easy enough. When I enter the club, I am hit with loud music, a huge crowd of people, and nice, modern decor.

I come to the realization pretty quickly that I have no idea what I'm doing. I'm kind of starting to freak out. Maybe this was a bad idea. As I'm thinking that, an older man walks up to me with a drink in his hand.

"What's a pretty girl like you doing all alone in a place like this?" He reeks of alcohol. He looks to be around 30, maybe a little younger. He has handsome features, blonde hair and strikingly blue eyes, just like someone else I know. He's dressed in a nice suit, and I bet he came here right after work.

"I was just looking for some fun, I guess." I have to yell in order for him to hear me.

"Well, look no further. I can give you all the fun you need." He wiggles his eyebrows suggestively, and I'm sure I should have just stayed back at the hotel.

"Um, I don't know." My facade of strength is starting to waver. What was I thinking?

"Well, at least let me buy you a drink." He offers. I'm guessing he thinks I'm over 21. I've never had an alcoholic beverage before. But, what the hell, why not? I'm not playing innocent Elena Gilbert tonight. I nod my head, and he goes to the bar to get me a drink. He comes back with something pink. I have no idea what it is, but in the name of having fun, I drink it. I also drink it to numb the pain of this day...my birthday aka the worst day of my life.

Three drinks later, I'm still with the same guy. I've learned his name is Pierce, and just as I thought, he came here after working on Wall Street. I'm getting pretty tipsy, and he asks me to dance with him. He buys me another drink, and soon, I'm on the dance floor in a crowd of people, drunk off my ass, without a care in the world.

* * *

Damon's POV

Kat and I just pulled up to the hotel. Dinner was a bust. Kat was on the phone ninety percent of the time with her best friend in Chicago. I'm pretty sure I'm supposed to trump said friend. Whatever. When she wasn't on the phone, she was hounding me about Elena and John, and I didn't wanna, don't wanna, ain't gonna talk about that. So, now she's mad at me. What else is new? I need some space.

Kat goes up to our room, and I head to the dive across the street. I think the music blaring from the place could drown out my thoughts. And if that doesn't work, then the alcohol will.

I walk in and head straight for the bar, taking a seat at one of the barstools. I order a whiskey on the rocks, heavy on the whiskey, and then I sit and just people watch.

First thing I notice is this isn't some cheap dive. Second thing I notice is that most of these people look like they came here straight from the office. It is Friday, after all. I'll drink to that.

The third thing I notice is a long pair of legs, long brunette curls, and the dress that Katherine always wears when she wants me to fuck her. But, this isn't Katherine's kind of place. And as the sexy vixen turns around, I see that it's Elena. What the fuck is she doing here? And what the fuck is doing here dressed in that?

She looks completely wasted, but she also looks completely fuckable, which could only mean trouble in a place like this. Her lips are cherry red, and I'm sure most of the men here are wishing those lips were on them...or on their dicks. She's grinding her ass against a man who's wearing a suit and, huh, a wedding ring. And he's got his hands on her hips, just daring to move them lower and cop a feel. And it's time to take action.

I walk up to Miss Jailbait and her married dance partner, and as soon as he sees me, he tells me to fuck off. Nice. What's really nice, though, is the sound of my fist breaking his nose. And I don't even care if I'm making a scene. He's been supplying alcohol to an underage girl, and I'm sure his intentions with Elena were less than honorable, and he's married, for God's sake!

Elena turns around, almost falling over. "Damon?! What the hell?! Why are you here?"

"You're coming with me." I know my expression leaves no room for argument, but leave it to Elena to completely ignore that fact.

"No. I'm having ffffun. I's dancing with Pierce, an' I'm not leaving." Her words are all slurred together, and I am beyond pissed off right now. I'm not so mad about the leaving the room in my girlfriend's clothes part as I am the dancing and getting drunk with total strangers part. She's lucky I came here when I did.

"This is not up for discussion, Elena. You're coming with me, even if I have to pick you up and carry you back to the room." And I will.

"Why don't we dance instead? Have fun with me, Damon." She smiles at me, grabs my shirt collar, and starts rolling her hips into me. Then she turns around and starts rubbing her tight, little ass against my ever-hardening cock. And I fight the urge to take her to the bathroom and fuck her senseless. But it takes all the self-control I have. Now's not the time for that.

"We're leaving, Elena." And I do just as I said I would, and I pick her up in my arms. She struggles a little, but it's pointless in her condition. And she eventually gives in.

We make it across the street to the hotel, and I ignore the looks of disdain I'm getting from people who need to mind their own damn business.

We make it to the elevator, and thank God, it's empty. I push the button for our suite, and it seems like the elevator is moving extra slow tonight.

"Izz my birthday. Happy birthday meee." Elena says, smiling. But that smile immediately fades into a frown. "My mom died on my birthday." Her speech is surprisingly clear as she tells me this. "She left me with a dad who blamed me for taking the love of his life away and a brother who hated me for taking his mom. I killed her, Damon. She's dead because of me. "

I look down at her, and her eyes are brimming with tears. I wonder how many times her dad or her brother told her that her mom's death was her fault. One too many, I know that. She doesn't deserve this. She doesn't deserve the life that's been handed to her.

"Damon. I'm sorry. I just wanted to have fun." Her tears are dripping down onto my hand. And I know her apology is sincere. "I'm tired, Damon." She leans her head into my chest and closes her eyes. And if this were happening under different circumstances, I think that it would feel very right.

"Shhh. Get some sleep. I'll take care of you." She's out of it before we get up to our floor.

Thankfully, Katherine is already in bed. I don't think I could deal with her right now. She must not have noticed that her stuff was missing.

I carry Elena to her bed and lay her down. I take the five-inch heels off her feet, gently wipe the makeup off of her face, and pull her covers up to cover the dress. And now she looks like Elena.

I take the trashcan out her bathroom and place it by her bed, because I know from experience that she's gonna need it later. I'm not going to punish her for what she did tonight. When I first saw her dancing with the guy whose nose I broke, I had every intention of bringing her back here and showing her what happens to girls who dress and act like that. But, I just can't do that now.

Her life has been the kind of life that I wouldn't wish on anyone. She's eighteen, and she's been through more shit in her life than any one person should ever have to go through. Also, I'm certain that considering how drunk she was tonight, she'll be punished enough in the morning when the hangover hits full force.

I turn the light off and leave her room, but not before leaning down and kissing her forehead and telling her happy birthday.


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: Finally. Chapter 9 is here. Thank you all for the reviews, favorites, and follows after my last chapter. I'm not 100% satisfied with this chapter, but it'll do. **

**This chapter is shorter than the last few chapters, but we learn the story behind Jeremy's death and Elena's part in it.**

* * *

Chapter 9: This Mess Called Life

Damon's POV

Five minutes ago, I was sleeping soundly next to my girlfriend. Now, I am sitting straight up in bed, my heart beating frantically inside my chest, and my head trying to comprehend why I'm suddenly in panic mode. Oh yeah. I just heard a blood curdling scream coming from Elena's room, followed by what I'm certain was her puking. Hopefully, she noticed the trashcan.

Katherine's awake next to me, and she's not at all happy about being woken up so suddenly. "God, Damon! Tell that bitch to go back to bed."

I really don't feel like arguing with Katherine right now. Or, like, ever. So, I walk over to Elena's room to see why she's screaming at four in the morning. Before I even reach her door, I can hear her crying.

When I walk into her room, she gasps and quickly wipes away the tears on her cheeks. I flip on the light, and she looks absolutely horrible. Her skin is pasty, and her hair and Katherine's dress have traces of vomit on them. And, damnit, I'm not going to puke. I'm not. Her cheeks are still stained with tears, despite her trying to cover up the fact that she was crying.

She closes her eyes tightly, trying to block out the light. Her head is probably throbbing right now. I walk back to my room, grabbing two aspirins and a glass of water.

"What the hell, Damon? I thought you were going to tell her to shut the fuck up, not cater to her every need." It's nice to know I'm dating a heartless bitch. She has me seriously reconsidering my taste in women right now. At least she doesn't know about everything I did for Elena last night. I'd never hear the end of it.

"Katherine, how about you shut up and go back to sleep," I say, regretting it instantly.

"You don't talk to me like that. I'm not one of your little girls. If you aren't going to be a man about this, then I guess I'll have to do your job for you." And with that, she is up, putting her robe on, and walking to Elena's room. And, shit, this isn't going to end well. I prepare myself for the fury of Katherine Pierce.

"WHAT THE FUCK?! You little fucking bitch!" Katherine storms over to Elena and backhands her face. "You fucking ruined my dress! Do you know how much that dress costs? And why are you wearing it in the first place?! I hope Damon beats you senseless for this." She practically hisses her words at Elena, venom filling them.

Before I even realize what's happening, Katherine is swinging her fists wildly at Elena. As soon as I'm done taking in the situation before me, I grab Katherine from behind, pinning her arms at her sides. She is struggling wildly against me.

"Katherine, listen to me! Let me deal with this. Look at me. Look at me!" She turns her head, and her eyes meet mine. They are full of hatred and anger. "I will buy you a new dress. And I will deal with Elena. Just please, please, go back to our room. I promise I will make this up to you."

And even though I know there is still fight left in her, she stomps off to our room, slamming the door full force behind her. I take a minute to regain my composure and calm my ass down. Breathe in, breathe out. Repeat.

I look up at Elena, and she's curled up into a ball on her bed, sniffling. I grab the aspirin and water off the table that I set them on, and walk over to the side of her bed. Her arms are covering her head and her face, and I gently pull them away. She's crying again, and her cheek is already bruising where Katherine slapped her. And I'm sure she'll have more bruises from Kat punching her.

"Elena," I say quietly, gently, soothingly, "I brought you some aspirin and water. Sorry, I don't have any of your dad's miracle cure."

She doesn't say anything, she just keeps crying. I lean down and lift her back up, leaning her against her headboard and putting pillows behind her back for cushion. I hold the aspirin out to her, and she takes them, putting them in her mouth with trembling fingers. I tilt the glass of water at her mouth, until she swallows the two pills.

"Don't worry about the dress. I'll buy Kat a new one, and she'll forget this ever happened." I smile down at her, but she's not looking at me. "God, you didn't deserve that." Damn it, I should have taken the fucking dress off of her when I put her in bed. Then we could have avoided all of this.

"I had a nightmare, Damon," Elena says, quietly. Her mind is obviously not on what just went down with Kat.

"About what?" I sit on the edge of her bed, setting the glass of water down on her nightstand, and being careful to avoid any contact whatsoever with the trashcan. I don't do vomit.

"It's the same nightmare I have every night. I keep thinking that one night, they'll just stop...but they never do. And they're getting worse. More realistic." Her whole body is trembling.

"What are they about?"

"My brother." She's only mentioned her brother one time, when I was carrying her up the stairs. She said he hated her. What is the deal with her family?

She continues after taking a few deep, shaky breaths. "Last year, my dad, and my brother and I were at this gala for the hospital they worked at. They were getting drunk, as usual, and I was told to sit and be quiet. Be seen and not heard. Same drill as always." She looks away briefly, and I can see her trying to blink back tears.

"Anyway, the medical director's son, Tyler, and I went to school together. He was popular, played for the football team, and I was just...not. He came and sat by me at the gala, and we just talked for a little while. And then, he asked me if I wanted something to drink, and he brought me some punch."

She pauses again, and the inner idiot inside of me is telling me to get the fuck out of there right now, because this is getting too deep, too personal. But I stay. I'm still trying to prove that I'm not the evil man she overheard at the airport.

"We kept talking for a while, and I started to feel...wrong...dizzy, confused. And then, my brother came up to us, and he was completely wasted. He could barely even stand up straight. Jeremy told me to drive him home, because Dad was too drunk, and Dad had his own driver there."

She's crying now, and she's not even trying to hide the tears. "I should have said something, Damon. I should have gotten my dad's driver to take us home. I should have told my brother that something was wrong. But I didn't. I was too scared. I was afraid of what my dad would do to me." Fuck him. Fuck Grayson Gilbert.

"I don't remember much after that. I don't remember getting in the car. I don't remember driving. I don't remember going off the road or hitting anything." No, no, no. Shit.

"I just remember opening my eyes and being in a lot of pain. I hurt all over. And I looked up, and there was this big tree branch that had broken through the windshield. And...and...it was stuck in my brother's stomach. It went all the way through the passenger seat of his car. And it was my fault. I chose to drive, even though I knew I shouldn't." I feel like I'm the one that's going to be sick now. I wish I could unimagine the mental image that just appeared in my head.

"The police came and took me to jail. They didn't even bother taking me to the hospital," she says bitterly. "They charged me with intoxication manslaughter, drew blood to send to toxicology, and then found out that I had rohypnol in my system. My dad got me out of jail, hired a great lawyer, and got the charge against me dropped. He was afraid it would ruin his reputation." I wish I could tell Elena that it wasn't her fault, it was the jackass that roofied her. But, my mouth feels like it's filled with cotton right now, and words completely escape me.

I honestly don't know of any person who has lived a more fucked up life than the girl in front of me. Out of all the girls we've had at our house, she is definitely the most troubled, but her troubles were not self-inflicted. She didn't ask for this.

* * *

Elena's POV

I don't know why I just revealed that part of myself to Damon. But, it felt good to finally tell someone about it. Maybe that's part of my healing process...talking.

At least I'm feeling physically better. I'm not as sick as I thought I would be. And the fact that Damon took care of me last night makes me feel better towards him. But I'm still wary of his intentions with me.

I can't believe I got so drunk last night. "I told myself that after that happened, I would never let myself be that out of control again. I hated not being able to control what I was doing. But...last night, I did it again. Everything started getting fuzzy after the first drink."

"You do know that the man that you were dirty dancing with was married, right?" Damon says, and I can sense a hint of irritation in his voice, a sense of him warning me not to push him right now, a feeling that he's mad.

"What? N-no. I didn't know. How did you know?" To be honest, I barely even remember the guy. I just knew he was supplying me with alcohol, and the alcohol made me forget all my problems, at least temporarily.

"How did I know?! I saw his wedding band on his fucking finger. Elena, I'm not going to punish you for what you did last night, even though I probably should. What you did was incredibly fucking stupid." Damon's lips are pursed tightly. I'm surprised he's not putting me on a plane straight back to Mystic Falls right now.

"I didn't mean for it to go that far." I really didn't. I really just wanted to have the one drink and just dance and let loose.

"Yeah, well, you were basically having clothed sex with a fucking married man. You're lucky I showed up when I did. His mind was on one thing, and one thing only...how to get you out of that dress." I blush brightly, embarrassed by what Damon saw and by what I apparently did.

"What if it hadn't been me, Elena?! What if I had been some other random guy? What if you rubbed your pretty little ass up against the wrong guy and ended up getting fucking raped, or worse!? Cause with the way you were acting, that's what could have and probably would have happened!" Damon's almost yelling at me, and I know he's mad. I hang my head, tears welling in my eyes, because I know he's right. If it had been some other guy, I would've been so out of it, they could have done anything to me.

Damon himself could have taken advantage of me, but he didn't. And I'm beginning to genuinely think that Damon was telling the truth about his confrontation with John and Dad. Maybe he really doesn't want to hurt me. Maybe he actually cares. I don't know why else he would be so mad.

Damon is just about to say something else, when Katherine barges into the room again. Damon ushers her out of the room, and I can hear them talking outside my door. She's pissed that he's spending so much time with me. And he's promising to buy her the moon to make up for it, and she's having none of that. She wants him to herself. Now.

Damon reenters the room a few minutes later, and he looks pissed. "I'm going back to bed now. Take a shower, take off that dress, and get some more sleep. Kat and I are going out after we get up, and you'll be staying here. And, Elena," his voice lowers to a dangerous tone, "if you try any of the shit you pulled earlier, you will be very sorry."

I know he means business right now, and I'm too nauseous right now to even think about trying anything.

"When you get some motivation, pack your bag. We're heading home tomorrow." Damon doesn't look all that happy about having to go back to his room to face the she-bitch. I feel kinda bad for him.

"Damon...thank you...for everything." He nods and gives me a quick smile, before leaving my room.

I'm almost positive now that Damon was telling me the truth. He just wants to throw off John and Dad. But, if this is all just some elaborate scheme to get me to fall for him, it's working. For the first time in a very, very long time, I feel like someone cares about me.


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: Chapter 10. Oh, chapter 10. So, this chapter didn't turn out completely like I had planned. Actually, I had to end up separating part of this chapter into Chapter 11. So, expect Chapter 11 to come out quite soon. This chapter and the next chapter we learn even more about Elena's backstory, as well as some of Damon's. We also meet Giuseppe and Elizabeth Salvatore and find out something unexpected. After the next chapter (which is going to be pretty dark, by the way), the story will be taking a definitive lighter turn. I hope you enjoy this chapter. Smut ensues in the first part of this chapter, just so ya know.**

**And, as always, thank you for all the reviews, favorites, and follows. They are my motivation. They are the reason that I keep writing all of these ramblings that are running through my head.**

* * *

Chapter 10: Meet the Parents

Damon's POV

Kat and I just got back to the hotel after a day full of me groveling at her feet. We went shopping, and she bought so much shit, I wonder if the plane is going to hold it all. Then, we went out to dinner at a ridiculously expensive restaurant that only had so-so food. But at least she's not being such a bitch. As long as her wants are fulfilled, she's happy. She's the Katherine I remember when we first met, when she was showing me the best version of herself. She's the Katherine that I fell in love with, before she started showing her true colors.

When we get back to our suite, Elena is already asleep. The penthouse is meticulously clean. Either we have one hell of a housekeeper or Elena kept herself busy cleaning today, when I'm sure she didn't even really feel like it. She's laying on top of her covers, wearing a white camisole, with no bra underneath, and tiny black shorts. I stand there just staring at her for a minute, pushing the desire that is starting to course through my body aside, and leaving before Katherine has a chance to start getting jealous again.

When I walk into our room, Katherine is dressed in a lacy black and white babydoll and a barely there g-string. If this is the thanks I get for spoiling my girl, I will spoil her rotten every single day of the fucking year. Because, yes please. I practically run to the bed, with Katherine smiling seductively at me, and I'm trying to shed my clothes as fast as I can.

I take my shirt off, throwing it on the floor, and Katherine crawls over to me, ass wiggling in the air. She undoes my belt and the button and zipper on my jeans, freeing my cock. Her hand is stroking me before she pulls me into her mouth. I moan at the feeling of warmth and wetness in her mouth. Katherine's tongue plays with the tip of my cock, while her hand strokes the shaft rhythmically up and down with the perfect amount of pressure.

I pull Kat up to me, kissing her deeply, passionately, our tongues entwined. And I know it's wrong, but part of me wishes that it was Elena that I'm kissing. I wonder what she tastes like. I push those thoughts aside as quickly as they come, focusing on Katherine. I climb between her legs, looking up at her with lust-filled eyes, and lightly tap her clit with my tongue. And I love the way her body jumps off the bed when I hit her in just the right spot. My tongue delves into her pussy, and she's grabbing my hair, holding me there as she comes, her juices flowing into my mouth.

I pull Katherine up to me again and kiss her, letting her taste herself on my tongue. She licks her lips seductively before straddling my lap, sliding herself down slowly onto my cock. She rides me like that, slowly, then firmly, then slowly again, teasing me. I growl in frustration and push her down onto the bed, thrusting into her, hard and fast. She grabs the sheets, thrusting her hips up to meet my thrusts, before she screams out as her orgasm overwhelms her. Soon after, I'm joining her in ecstasy.

And, again, my mind is on Elena at the most inappropriate time. I can't help but imagine what she's going to look like when she has an orgasm, how her body will arch, her mouth hanging open, her body trembling.

I pull out of Kat, and she immediately goes to the bathroom to wash up, leaving me alone with my thoughts. Thoughts of the girl sleeping in the other room won't leave my head. Sex with Elena is like nothing I've ever experienced before. It's breathtaking and new, even though I've been with more women than I can count...or name. There's something amazingly incredible about being with someone so pure and innocent. It's thrilling to teach her all the ways she can please me, but I'm also finding myself getting even more excited at the prospect of teaching her all the ways that I can please her. And it probably makes me a horrible boyfriend, thinking of sex with another woman, when I just fucked my girlfriend. But I can't seem to help myself.

* * *

Elena's POV

We just left the hotel to make our way to the airport. Our flight leaves in two hours. Damon and I haven't really spoken to one another for the last 24 hours. He was gone with Katherine yesterday, and after I got tired of laying in bed waiting for my stomach to stop doing backflips, I decided to clean. I was asleep before they got back, but I think I heard Damon come in my room. Or maybe I dreamt it.

I had another nightmare last night, but it was less intense than the last few. I didn't wake up screaming, at least. Maybe it was due to me talking to Damon about it. I've never really talked to anyone about that whole experience, and it feels kind of nice knowing that someone else knows what's keeping me up at night.

We make it to airport and, thankfully, this time around we don't have any unexpected visitors. Damon, Katherine, and I all just wait in awkward silence for them to call us to get on our flight.

We get on our plane, and I'm in the aisle seat this time. I'm glad I'm not by the window again. I'd rather not have that reminder of how far away the ground is. Damon is seated next to me and Katherine is by the window. As we take off, I am gripping the armrest as if letting go would cause me to plummet back to the earth. Damon puts his hand on mine, squeezing it lightly, and when I look up at him, he mouths out "Relax."

Katherine notices his kind gesture and is quick to glare at the both of us. I can't believe how unbelievably jealous that woman is. I mean, for God's sake, I'm a teenager. Damon's a grown man, who I'm fairly certain is not going to leave his beautiful girlfriend for plain little me.

A few hours later, we are back on the ground, and back at home. Home. It's both strange and somewhat comforting referring to the boarding house as home. It sure beats the other places I've called home.

* * *

Damon's POV

As we drive up to the boarding house, I see a familiar car parked out front. And I wish we'd just stayed in New York. Mom and Dad are here. I love my mother. She's the perfect doting mom. But Giuseppe and I have come to blows more than once. He points out every single fucking mistake I ever make, and my lifestyle leaves a lot to be desired in his eyes. Yeah, Dad, you're the one that practically groomed me to take over operations of this house. If you're going to point fingers at anyone, point them at your own damn self.

Elena and I get our bags out of Katherine's Lexus, which is unscathed after it's stay at the airport, I might add. Kat's heading back to Chicago today. I guess she's had enough of me. I kiss her goodbye and unlock the door, mentally preparing myself for the onslaught of judgment I'm about to receive from dear old dad. But when we walk inside, no one seems to be around. I have Elena take her bags upstairs, while I set mine down and follow the faint sound of laughter I hear coming from the dining room.

Everyone is sitting at the dining table, glasses full of wine and plates full of food...Italian food. Mom's been cooking. I'm positive I have drool dripping down my shirt. Mama's cooking is my biggest weakness. If you want to bribe me, just put a plate of Elizabeth Salvatore's chicken parmigiana in front of me, and I'll agree to anything you say.

Mom sees me before anyone else, and she runs up and hugs me tightly. "Oh, my Damon. We were wondering when you would be home. Come, sit, I've got a plate all ready for you." Mom ushers me to the table. She's set a place for me next to Stefan, and as I sit, I can feel Dad's judgy eyes on me.

"Hello, Son."

"Dad." I smile at Dad, but it's quick and tight and obviously forced.

"Damon, dear, is Katherine going to join us?" Mom already has a place set for her on the other side of me.

"No. She's already headed home." Mom smiles warmly. I'm sure she's relieved. Katherine and Mom never have really seen eye to eye. Mom pours me a glass of wine and sets in down in front of me.

"What about your girl? Ric and Stefan have informed me that she is quite an amazing person. I'd like to meet her." I'm sure he would. He wants to see what damage I've done, if I know how to maintain control, if Elena is the good submissive little girl that he expects my girls to be.

"She's putting her things away right now, but I'm sure she'll be down any minute." Dad keeps looking at me like I'm already a disappointment, and if Elena doesn't get her ass down here in the next two minutes, I'm going to go upstairs and drag her down here.

Thankfully, it doesn't come to that. Elena comes downstairs a minute later. She's wearing a modest dress that accentuates her waist before it flares out. She looks like something straight out of the 50's, and she's absolutely beautiful.

As Elena nears the table, Mom walks up to her to show her to her seat, and I see all the color drain from Elena's face. She looks as if she's seen a ghost. Her body is frozen in place, and I'm wondering what the hell is going on.

* * *

Elena's POV

"Mama Liz?" I whisper to the woman in front of me. This isn't possible. I look over to the table. This is actually happening. "Papa Joe?"

"I'm sorry, but do we know you?" The man I've always known as Papa Joe asks me. I'm sure they don't recognize me now. A lot has changed since they last saw me nine years ago. Mama Liz looks equally confused.

"I-It's me...Elena," I say quietly, wondering if they are the same people I remember. These were the people who came over nearly everyday from ever since I can remember until I was nine. They knew that something was amiss at home, and they made sure that I knew that someone cared about me. They were the only people for many, many years that I ever felt any kind of love from.

Mama Liz gasps audibly, before she reaches out, arms wide open, and embraces me in a tight hug. And it feels so great. I see Papa Joe look at Damon with a look of shock, but I also see a flash of anger, a hint of disappointment. Wait, hold on, are these Damon and Stefan's parents? I see the resemblance. Damon has his mom's dark hair and blue eyes, and he has his father's jawline and stature.

"Does anybody here want to tell me what the fuck is going on?!"

"Damon! I will not have you talking like that around me." Mama Liz says, and Damon mutters a quick apology. I think it's the first time I've ever heard him apologize to anyone.

Everyone else at the table keeps looking back and forth between Damon, Papa Joe, Mama Liz, and I, waiting for someone to speak up.

Papa Joe finally breaks the silence. "Elena is the daughter of Grayson Gilbert."

"Yeah. I've met the asswipe...Sorry, Mom." Damon interjects.

"Grayson and I were both doctors at the same hospital. He and I had been best friends since we were in high school. I was his best man in his wedding. I was there when Jeremy was born. I was there when Miranda died giving birth to Elena."

Damon looks at me with an unreadable expression.

"After Miranda died, Gray was determined to be a good father to Elena. But that determination only lasted a few years. When she was three, he started drinking excessively. And that led to other things. He felt like Elena took Miranda from him, and he took it out on her."

I can feel tears stinging the backs of my eyes. It's one thing to live the life I have, but having to hear it played back to me isn't easy. And Damon's expression isn't helping. He looks furious.

"Why didn't I know about any of this before?" Damon says.

"You were off at boarding school. You were almost ten when Elena was born. By the time you came back to Mystic Falls, we'd cut the Gilberts out of our lives." Mama Liz explains. And I finally know that Damon is 27. I figured he was nearing 30.

"What do you mean, cut out?"

"We felt sorry for Elena. When she was a small child, we would go to Gray's house, and we noticed Elena was being treated rather harshly. We tried to make her life a little happier. We would visit as often as we could and take her treats and little trinkets and spend time with her. But, when she was nine, Grayson went too far. And I severed our friendship. And that, unfortunately, meant severing our ties with Elena, as well."

Damon looks angry and confused. Tears are running down my cheeks, despite my efforts to hold them in. Everyone at the table looks absolutely shocked. Caroline, Ric, and Jenna keep looking at me with looks of pity. Stefan is looking at Damon, trying to gauge his reaction.

* * *

Damon's POV

"You're gonna have to stop with the vague descriptions, Pops. What do you mean he went too far?" I'm irate right now, and I can't even point out who I'm most upset with. I'm angry at Grayson Gilbert for being a fucked up son of a bitch and a lousy ass father. I'm mad at my own parents for not doing more for Elena. But I'm also mad at my parents for doting on Elena while I was off at boarding school, forgotten unless it was a family visitation week.

I know it's completely irrational. I know Elena more than deserved whatever attention she received from my parents. And I know that I deserved to be sent to boarding school. I wasn't exactly an easy kid to have around. But I'm still jealous. And that makes me mad at myself.

"Grayson came to the hospital on one of the nights he was off. He was carrying Elena in his arms. She was injured quite severely. She had several broken bones, and she was unconscious. He told the staff in the ER that Elena had been in a car accident. But I knew that wasn't the case. I found out some time later that he'd had too much to drink, again, and had used Jeremy's baseball bat on Elena."

Fuck! Who does that to their kid? God damn it, the baseball bat in the cell must have been like hell for her.

"Why?! Why would you leave her after that? Please tell me that something horrible happened to Grayson Gilbert for what he did."

"Richard Lockwood, our medical director, was his friend, Damon. They were very similar people. Richard treated his kids like shit, and he wasn't about to punish the only man in the hospital that he could relate to. So, he let it go, wrote it off as injuries sustained in a car accident, just like Gray said. And when she was released from the hospital, two months later, she was released back to him." God damn it! At this point, I can't even place the blame squarely on my father, because Mom knew about this, too. And they just let it happen. I never knew my parents were cowards. And it pisses me off.

"D-damon. They-they couldn't have done anything. My dad had friends all over Mystic Falls. In the police force, in the city council, and especially at the hospital. Your parents did what they could."

I look at Elena with a look of complete and utter disbelief. Is she seriously sticking up for them?! And before I can startup my brain-to-mouth filter, my mouth decides to go ahead and ruin everything. "Elena, go to your room."

"Son. She's just trying to explain to you-"

I don't want to hear anymore. "Elena, go to your fucking room right now."

This isn't good. This isn't what I want to do, but at this point, I can't even think. I can't be rational, because every fiber of my being wants to purge all of the anger and resentment and disgust I'm feeling towards humanity right now.

Elena runs up the stairs, and I can feel my fellow housemates' eyes all boring holes into me. Mom and Dad are hugging Stefan, their angel of a son, and then, they are rushing out the door.

"Seriously, Damon?!" Great, Blondie wants to chip in. "I can understand you being mad at your parents, but what did Elena do?!"

Elena didn't do anything. I did. No. Elena did everything. Elena is the reason I'm in this mess in the first place. Elena is the reason that I have this burning feeling of rage boiling inside of me. Elena is the reason that I feel irrationally jealous, jealous of the love that she got, and I didn't. And stupid fucking me, has to go and take it out on her. Because that's what I do.

I'm not sitting around waiting for everyone else in this room to judge me, either. So, I turn and leave, heading up to my room, leaving behind a plateful of uneaten food and a roomful of judgment and disappointment. I close my door, pour myself a glass of bourbon, and then I throw the bottle of bourbon at the brick mantle of my fireplace. It shatters into a thousand pieces, kind of like my life right now, leaving alcohol spilling onto the floor.


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: Here it is. Chapter 11. This is tough one, folks. I'm warning you now. There is some pretty messed up stuff going on in this chapter, forced see (not with Damon) , whipping, beating. So, if any of that offends you, you might want to skip this chapter. The good thing about this chapter, though, is we get to finally see that Damon really does care about Elena. But, does he realize that too late? We'll see.**

**To Haley, the guest reviewer asking if Elena could leave since she was 18: John brought Elena there with no stipulations regarding time, so her age isn't an issue. He just wants it done, no matter how long it takes or how old she is. She doesn't really have free will at the boarding house, at least not yet. Hope that helps.**

**As always, thank you for the reviews, favorites, and follows. *Hugs everyone***

* * *

Chapter 11: Broken

Elena's POV

It's been two days since Mama Liz and Papa Joe were here. I was so shocked to see them here, and I was so heartbroken when I found out that they'd left before I even got to tell them goodbye. Not only that, but I was never able to really gauge how they felt. Were they happy to see me? Or were they disappointed to find me in a place like this? After all, as far as I know, they don't know why I'm here.

I haven't left my room since Damon sent me up here. I just don't want to face him or anyone else, really. I don't want their pity, and I don't want them asking about stuff that I really don't have any desire to talk about. My childhood, or lack thereof, is in the past, and that's where I like to keep it.

I'm not sure why Damon is as mad at me as he is, but it hurts. It hurts surprisingly bad, because things had been going so much better than they were when I first got here. And now, it suddenly feels like we're back to square one.

Jenna and Caroline have been bringing food to my door. They try to get me to open it and talk to them, but I'm not ready to yet. Ric hasn't given me any new school work, so there hasn't been an awful lot to do the past couple of days. I've just stared out the window, recalling the last couple of months, when Damon and I were actually getting along, where I saw all the glimpses of him caring.

I was so sure just the other day that Damon had genuinely been truthful when he told me about lying to John and Dad. Now, after his outburst, I'm not so sure. Maybe he's just that good of an actor. Maybe I really don't mean anything to him, besides a hefty paycheck.

* * *

Damon's POV

It's been two days since I last saw Elena. And, while much of my anger has subsided, I still feel it. I feel it trying to claw it's way out of me. It's not anger directed at Elena, though, even though I'm a fucking jerk and take it out on her. It's anger towards her dad and uncle and the life that she had to live and anger towards my parents for being too scared to stop Grasyon Gilbert. But even more than that, I feel an unbelievable amount of guilt. I feel guilty for hurting Elena, both physically and emotionally. And I don't deal with guilt well. It's not an emotion I've had a lot of experience with, for good reason. So, I've decided it's best to just keep avoiding her until I have a better grasp on myself.

Ric, Caroline, Jenna, and Stefan have all been trying to play therapist to me. And we talk, but every time it ends in me closing them out again or them getting frustrated with my inability to maintain a civil conversation about what's on my mind.

But, today is different. Today, there is no discussion of the last two days. There is still a sense of strain in the air, but we all push it aside. Today, Ric asked Jenna to marry him. I told him that he was utterly whipped, and that he'd be sorry. And he told me to fuck off. But, really, I'm happy for them. I'm also jealous. There I go, getting jealous again. God, I hate myself sometimes. I wish I had what they had, whether it be with Katherine or someone else. I can't see myself ever marrying Kat or her ever being willing to marry me. I'm quite positive that I'm going to die old and alone, because I can't get my damn head out of my ass. And it sucks.

But, back to the happy couple. Tonight, we're going out to celebrate. Elena is not invited. I really wish I could just get over my issues, because they're pretty fucking stupid and senseless and completely irrational. But I can't. Not yet.

I go upstairs and knock on Elena's door. She doesn't answer, but I know she's awake, and I know she's listening.

"Elena, we're all going out. Well, all of us except for you. Ric just slipped a ring on Jenna's finger. You will be staying here, and you will not leave. I know you're probably pissed at me, that's completely understandable, but don't do anything you'll regret later. We'll be back in a few hours." God, Damon, why do you have to be so damn insufferable.

"Fine." She says. It's good to know that she's still alive.

The gang and I leave the house, and we're determined to have a good night, for Jenna and Ric's sakes. But I notice all their disapproving glares when they realize that Elena isn't joining us.

* * *

Elena's POV

I'm actually glad that everyone left. I don't have to worry about them trying to get me to talk or trying to make me feel better. I just don't want to deal with people right now.

I go to the bathroom and put on my usual pajamas, a camisole and some short shorts. Then, I decide that it's the perfect time to attempt to get some sleep. I slip under the sheets and the duvet cover, letting the warmth envelope me. Surrounded by peace and quiet and solitude, sleep comes quickly.

I'm not sure how long I've been asleep, but I'm awoken by the sound of someone knocking on my door. I guess Damon's home. I get up, slowly, and groggily walk to the door.

As soon as I open the door, two pairs of arms grab me, pinning my arms to my sides. I know it's not Damon. I also know it's not Stefan or Ric. They would never be this rough with me. I struggle to free myself from the grasp of my captors, but whoever is holding me is too strong. As I continue struggling, someone puts a blindfold on my face. Before the world goes dark, however, I see Katherine in the distance, wearing an evil grin.

"You better stop fighting us. Otherwise, we're going to have to hurt you." The voice is coming from a man, one of the people holding me.

"W-who are you? What are you doing here?" I try and keep the fear that's mounting inside of me out of my voice, but I fail miserably.

"Who they are doesn't matter. And what they're doing here is what Damon was supposed to do." Katherine says, her voice getting closer. "Damon's job was to break you, and if he can't do his job, then I'll do it for him. If your dear old daddy and your uncle want you broken, I will give them broken." Her voice is right by my ear now. She sounds postively evil.

"Take her downstairs, by the garage. There's a special room down there just for her." I know exactly what room Katherine is sending us to.

One of the men lifts me up and throws me over his shoulder. I immediately start punching the man in the back, doing whatever I can to get away. The man just laughs at me and continues carrying me down the stairs, my assault doing nothing but wearing me out.

Soon, I am thrown onto the cement floor of the cell. My arms are restrained against the wall before I even have a chance to fight. My blindfold is removed, and it takes a moment for my eyes to adjust to the harsh brightness of the room. When my eyes finally focus, I see two men standing in front of me wearing smug smirks. I immediately recognize them as Tyler Lockwood and his older brother, Mason.

"Surprise!" Tyler says enthusiastically, "I'm sure you're wondering what we're doing here...why Kat chose us. Well, as it turns out Kat's been fucking my brother here on the side. I mean, obviously, this Damon guy is a complete pussy, if he can't put you in your place. Plus, you and I, well, we have some catching up to do."

"I have nothing to say to you. You ruined my life!" I yell at Tyler, determined to keep my fear at bay.

"Likewise, sweetheart. When those allegations came out that I roofied you, I lost my scholarship, my girlfriend, and all the money I had to spend on my lawyer getting my name cleared. And now, you get to pay." Tyler starts walking around the room, looking at everything that is now at his and Mason's disposal. Thankfully, Damon threw the baseball bat away after my last time in the cell.

"Ty, whaddaya say we get Elena a little more comfortable in here?" Mason says with a nasty sneer on his face.

"Sounds good to me." Tyler walks over with a pair of scissors-the same pair Wes used to cut my clothes off before. Tyler removes my camisole, and I wish more than ever that I'd worn a bra underneath. Mason and Tyler each grope my breasts painfully, causing me to wince.

Mason takes the scissors from Tyler and cuts my shorts off, and I am immensely thankful that I wore panties. I am even more thankful that they are not cut off of me.

"Now. Now. That's better." Mason says, both he and Tyler ogling over my body. I feel incredibly uncomfortable. Damon is the only man that has seen me this exposed. Damon, until tonight, was the only man who had ever touched my breasts, and he wasn't rough like Mason and Tyler. I wonder what else they're going to do.

"Damon's going to kill you when he finds out what you've done."

"How do you know this wasn't Damon's idea? How do you know that he hadn't had this planned all along, for Kat and Ty and I to be the ones to break you? Do you really think he cares a damn about you and your well-being? Cause, hate to break it you, baby doll, but you're just another girl to Damon. You're replaceable. And, you're damaged goods. No guy wants someone with as much fucking baggage as you have."

I keep telling myself I will not bring my emotions into this, but Mason's words hurt. I'm sure this wasn't Damon's idea. As awful as he could be, he wouldn't go this far. But I am replaceable...and damaged. And what if he really doesn't care about what they do? What if they hurt me, and he doesn't care? No. He would care. He cared when Wes hurt me. He cared when I was drunk and almost got taken advantage of. I know that Damon cares about me. I just wish he was here.

"Hmm, I wonder what this does." Tyler says, picking up the shocking wand and walking over to me. The shocks I can take, so I keep a strong face on, even as currents are being sent repeatedly through my body. Soon, the boys get tired of doing that with no reward.

"Look at you, trying to be tough and shit. Cute." I start shuddering as I hear Mason undoing the zipper on his pants. No. No. No. This isn't happening. I start struggling against my restraints, even though I know it's pointless. Soon, Tyler follows suit, unzipping his pants as well.

Both of them walk over to me, and I close my eyes tightly, not knowing exactly what to expect. "Hey, sweetie, open that pretty little mouth of yours. I wanna make you choke."

I close my mouth as tightly as I can, but Mason grabs my chin and forces my mouth open. He squats down so he is looking me in my eyes. "You're gonna want to do what we say. There are plenty of toys in here that we can use on you to make you more agreeable, understand?" So, use them. Anything but this.

He loosens his hold on my jaw, and I show how agreeable I am by spitting in his face. I am met with a fierce blow to the right side of my face.

"Open your fucking mouth or I'm gonna take this whip over here and whip your pretty little ass with it until you bleed." Tyler hisses at me.

I open my mouth slightly, knowing that at this point, putting up a fight is not in my best interest. Mason enters my mouth, and I almost immediately start gagging. He's not as big as Damon, but he's close. He starts thrusting in and out of my mouth at a pace I can't keep up with. I feel like I'm going to pass out, and he finally withdraws from my mouth, as I struggle to regain my breath.

I'm still catching my breath when Tyler walks up and starts fondling my breasts. He pinches my nipples roughly, and I can't help but cry out at the pain. He smiles proudly, before leaning down and biting me harshly on my left breast, causing me to cry out in pain. God, that hurt.

"I like making you scream, Elena. Just think, if you hadn't left the gala that night, I coulda made you scream in pleasure."

"I would never have sex with you, Tyler. You're a disgusting freak!" How dare he bring up that night?

Tyler walks over to one of the shelves and pulls off two whips. One has several fronds on the end, and the other is stiff, like a cane. He hands the fringed whip to Mason and keeps the cane to himself.

"Let's see how long it takes for you to change your mind, sweet little Elena. I think sooner rather than later you will be agreeing to do just about anything with me." And with that, both of them start whipping me. I tell myself to go to my happy place, to ignore the pain, but it's impossible. My whole body is on fire. They're whipping every inch of me, except for my face. And I know it won't be long before I give in.

* * *

Damon's POV

I'm sitting here at this table with my best friends, and while I should be happy, celebrating the impending union of Ric and Jenna...I can only think of Elena. I'm an idiot, a complete fucking idiot. I took my anger out on her, when she did nothing wrong. She didn't ask to be loved by my parents. She certainly deserved their love.

How could I have been so stupid? I have to fix this. I have to tell her that I made a mistake. If I have to, I'll even apologize, because she deserves that. She deserves to be happy. I've known Elena was holding something back from me since she first got to the house. I knew she'd been hurt before, I could see it in her eyes, in the fear that she tried to hide.

I can't stay here anymore. I tell the others that I'm not feeling well, and then I'm out of there. I'm sure I'm speeding, and I pray that there are no cops out on the highway tonight. I have to get home to her. I have to make things right. I can't have Elena thinking that I don't care about her. I care, and it fucking confuses the shit out of me. I've never cared about any of the other girls I've had at the house, not like this.

As I pull into the driveway in front of the boarding house, I see Kat's Lexus parked out front. Huh. She didn't tell me she was coming.

I unlock the door and walk in, and the house appears empty. And quiet...too quiet. I'm about to head upstairs to see if Kat's in my room and to check on Elena, when I see Katherine on the chair in the sitting room off of the foyer. She's smiling at me, and I'm still confused as to what she's doing here.

"Hi, baby. Surprised?" She says, as she sways over to me, wrapping her arms around me and kissing me deeply.

"Uh. Yeah. What are you doing here?"

"I just wanted to see you. I missed you. I mean, I know we just saw each other a few days ago, but I wanted to show you how much I love you. I fucking love you, Damon Salvatore."

To say I'm shocked would be an understatement. I don't know what's going on, but I like it. I pull her into the foyer, kissing her passionately, our tongues battling for dominance. It's as we're kissing, that I see a light seeping through the bottom of the door to the cell. That's odd.

I break our kiss, and start walking over to the door. No one's been in the cell since the day I took Elena out of there.

"Damon, don't. Damon, stop!" Katherine is pleading with me.

"Katherine, you need to tell me right now what the fuck is going on. What am I going to find when I open this door?" My fists are clenched at my sides, because a part of me already knows who I'm going to find in the cell.

"Oh, come on, Damon. You already know who's in there. John Gilbert gave you one task...one measly task. All you had to do was break her. That's it. You've done it plenty of times before. What makes her so different? What makes her so special that you not only take her on a trip with us, but you actually seem to care about her? You paid more attention to her on our trip than you did to me."

"Jealousy is not a good look on you, Kitty Kat. Now, I'm gonna open this door, and if Elena is hurt, you'd better pray that those heels you're wearing don't break when you're running out of my house."

* * *

Elena's POV

I'm not sure how long the whipping goes on, but I keep praying to whoever can hear me, that Damon will walk through that door and save me. Despite my best efforts, tears start rolling down my cheeks, and still, Mason and Tyler don't relent.

"OK! That's enough! I'll-I'll do it." I feel so weak, so disgusted with myself. But I couldn't take anymore. It hurt too bad. My body is bleeding and my eye is almost swollen shut from Mason hitting me earlier.

"See? I knew you'd see it my way soon enough." Tyler says, as Mason once again enters my mouth with his cock. Tyler pulls down my panties, ripping them off of me, and positions himself at my entrance. Both of them are groping my breasts again, squeezing, pinching, slapping them. Tyler leans down to kiss me, but I turn my head away from him. He backhands me roughly, and is just about to thrust into me, when the door opens.

He's back. Damon's back.

* * *

Damon's POV

I'm standing in the doorway of the cell, and I am certain that my heart just stopped beating. It takes me a minute to take in the sight before me. Elena is chained to the wall, and two men I don't know are having their way with her. One is standing with his cock in her mouth, the other looks like I stopped him right before he was about to fuck her. Both men look at me, and I know they're afraid, but they try to mask their fear.

"Who the fuck are you? And what makes you think it is ok to come to MY HOUSE and do this?" I am so beyond furious right now, I'm surprised I'm able to even form a coherent sentence.

Neither man answers, they're just frozen in place. "You both need to put your fucking dicks back in your pants, get the hell out of my house, and never come back."

Both of them step away from Elena, zipping their pants back up, and Elena just looks up at me...emotionless. Fuck. This is not good.

"Ya know, if you want, I'll go tell John Gilbert that you've done the deed. I'm sure he'll be satisfied." The younger of the two thugs says. I can't hold back anymore, and I rush in the room, pummeling the guy. I punch him, not caring where, until he starts crying. He actually cries. I get up, and the older man is sneering at me. I guess he wants a piece of me, too.

"Come on, Mason, let's go." The man whose face I just smashed in says.

"What the fuck, Tyler? We're Lockwoods, we don't back down." Ahh. So that's who they are...the Lockwood boys. Evidently, I did a number on the boy that roofied Elena and caused her to get in that car accident. I wish I hadn't stopped beating him. He deserves it. And this Mason guy, somehow I think he's all talk.

I crack my knuckles, and walk over to a high shelf, pulling off a bullwhip. We don't really use this on the girls, it's another scare tactic, but Mason, on the other hand...I'm not afraid to use it on him. I see the fear in his eyes as I snap the whip across me, hitting him square in the face. He screams out, grabbing his cheek, blood seeping through his fingers.

And that's all it takes. Both guys call their surrender and leave out my front door. Katherine also turns to leave, but I stop her. "You. You need to sit your fucking ass down. We need to talk."

I pull Kat into the cell, and just to make sure she doesn't leave before I'm ready for her to, I chain her to the wall adjacent to Elena.

Elena. God damn it. She looks horrible. She has a black eye, and her whole body looks beaten, bruised, bloodied. And I'm pretty sure I see a fucking bite mark on her breast. But she's just sitting there, staring at the wall.

I walk over and unchain her, gently, and stand her up on her feet. I hold on to her, making sure that she isn't too weak to stand. I take off the suit jacket that I'm wearing and place it gently around her shoulders.

"Elena, go upstairs. Look at me. Look at me, please." She turns her head ever so slightly, and looks at me out of the corners of her eyes. "I'll be upstairs in just a minute. I'm going to help you. I'm not going to let anyone else hurt you, ok?" She looks away, and almost robotically starts walking out of the room and up the stairs. And I'm fucking worried about her, but I have to deal with Katherine first.

Once I see that Elena's made it all the way up the stairs, I turn my attention to the bitch in the cell. "Don't say a word. You hear me? Not a single fucking word. I am so fucking angry right now. How could you?! What did Elena do to you to deserve that?"

"I was just doing your job, since you seemed completely incapable of doing it yourself. I can't believe you let one stupid little bitch of a girl make you into such a fucking weakling. I never thought I'd see the day when Damon Salvatore was pussy-whipped by a teenager." I have to keep firm control of my anger right now, because if I don't, I will fucking kill Katherine Pierce.

"I wasn't going to go through with John's deal, because if anyone doesn't deserve that, it's her. She's been through enough bullshit in her life. She didn't need me to break her, she was already broken when she came here."

I walk over to Kat and unchain her, but as I do, I lean down and look her in the eye. "You need to leave. You need to get the fuck out of my house, get the fuck out of Mystic Falls, and get the fuck out of my life. And if you ever come back here and try to hurt Elena or anyone else that I care about again, you will be the one getting broken. And you better pray that I can fix what you and those fucking Lockwood boys did to Elena."

"Fine. I'll go. Just tell me what it is about her that makes her so special. Why do you care so much?"

"Because that's what she needs. Now get out." I say calmly. And Katherine, for once, doesn't argue. She walks out the door, and drives away from my house and out of my life. And I would celebrate, but I have a little girl upstairs who needs my help. I just hope that she isn't broken beyond repair.


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N: Wow, guys! Another chapter, already! Chapter 12 is a chapter I've been looking forward to writing since I started the story. It's really the turning point of this whole story. It's where we get to see caring, selfless Damon. I love this chapter so much.**

**I know this chapter is much shorter than my others, but it's also one of the most important. And one of my favorites. And I wrote it in record timing (I think it was 1 1/2 hours).**

**Lastly, thank you all SO SO MUCH for your reviews, favorites, and follows. My story broke the 100 reviews mark, and it almost has 100 followers! So so exciting! *bear hugs for everyone***

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Chapter 12: Let Me Fix You

Damon's POV

I'm standing outside the door to Elena's room. I've been standing here for at least five minutes. I just can't seem to gather the strength to open the door. I'm afraid of what I'm going to find inside. And I'm never afraid of anything. I'm so used to running from my problems, that I really don't even know what I'm going to do. I can't run from this, though. Like I told Katherine, Elena needs me. She needs me to care.

I finally convince myself to open the door, because I've realized that I haven't heard one single sound coming from Elena's room. And that freaks me the fuck out. I push the door open and her room is empty. I'm about to start truly panicking, when I see the light is on in her bathroom.

I slowly make my way towards the bathroom, and my heart breaks at the sight of Elena sitting in her empty bathtub, my jacket still draped over her shoulders. Her knees are huddled to her chest, and she is staring straight ahead, almost catatonic. This was my job, what John paid me for. This was what I was supposed to do. This was why I took her in in the first place. But as I see her sitting there, completely broken, I realize I have a new mission...I have to fix her.

I walk towards her, slowly, but making sure my footsteps are loud enough that she knows I'm there. I don't want to scare her. I lean by the side of the tub, but I still get no response. It is now that I get a better idea of her injuries, and I am disgusted. I'm disgusted with Kat and the Lockwoods for hurting her. And I'm disgusted with myself for leaving her here.

"Elena?" I say quietly. Nothing. "I'm going to take my jacket off of you and run some warm water. It might sting a little on your cuts, but we have to wash them, ok?" Still nothing. This is not good at all. How could anyone want this for another person, much less for their own flesh and blood?

I reach over and slowly take my jacket off of Elena, leaving her naked in the tub. And I see the first sign of life in her, as her body trembles slightly. I turn the faucet on, and warm water comes pouring into the bathtub. She winces a little, and I wish this didn't have to hurt.

The tub fills with water, and she's still sitting there, curled up and staring at the wall. And I don't know what makes me do it, but I slide my shoes and socks off and get in the bathtub behind her, fully clothed. And I realize I just ruined a $1,000 suit, but I don't really give a fuck. This is more important.

Thankfully, this tub was made for two, so we aren't too cramped. I'm not touching her at all, and I won't unless she wants me to. I'm done hurting this girl. I'm done making her do things she doesn't want to do. She is trembling more now, and her breathing is starting to get deeper and shakier.

"I should never have left you here alone. I'm so, so sorry." I'm praying she believes me. I need her to believe me.

"I-I want to w-wash them off of me, Damon. I-I can't get them off. I can still feel them and smell them and hear them and - and taste them. I-I can't get them off of me, Damon." Elena's voice is small and pitiful, and she breaks down in tears. I close my eyes for a minute, trying to rein in my own emotions.

"Do you trust me, Elena? I want to help you. Will you let me help you?"

She nods ever so slightly, but it's enough. I reach over, grabbing a soft washrag and Elena's body wash. It's lightly strawberry scented, and it smells just like her. I lather up the rag, and starting at her hair, I wash her. I pay special attention to her scratches and cuts, making sure not to scrub them too hard. Anger boils inside me when I see the bite marks left on her breasts by the Lockwoods. I wash them gently, and I feel Elena's tears dripping down onto my hand.

"Do you want me to stop?" I don't want to do anything to make her feel worse. I don't want her to feel like she has to do anything against her will.

She shakes her head no, and I'm about to continue washing her, when she leans her back against me. I stop washing and wait to see what she wants me to do, but she just turns to her side, leaning against my chest. She starts shaking as sobs wrack her body. Her tears spill out of her eyes, onto my shirt, and I put the rag down and just hold her. I'll let her cry against me as long as she needs to.

I don't think I can ever make up for leaving her here. I don't see how she could ever forgive me. I may not be the one who actually hurt her, but it was still my fault. If she hadn't been here, nothing could have happened to her. If she had been with me, I may have been at odds with her, but at least she'd be okay. I've never felt worse about myself than I do right now. But I shouldn't be focusing on me right now...my attention needs to be on her.

I gently stroke Elena's hair, doing what I can to comfort her, whispering comforting words into her hair, rubbing soothing circles on her hands. But the sobs keep coming, and soon, I feel tears leaving my own eyes.

The water is starting to get cold, and Elena is trembling against me, but I don't dare move or talk or do anything until Elena wants me to. And after a few minutes, though her body is still heaving slightly, I see that she's fallen asleep. And I hate to wake her up, but unless we want to freeze in this bathtub all night, I'm gonna need her to move.

"Elena? I need you to wake up. Just for a minute. I need to dry you off." She nods slightly and leans up, allowing me the room to get out of the bathtub. My clothes are dripping water all over the floor, so I strip them off, making sure I'm out of Elena's view.

"Elena. I'll be right back." I walk out of the bathroom, wrapped in a towel.

First, I go to my room and put on a black t-shirt and some black pants. Then, I go to Elena's room and pull her out some underwear and a cotton nightgown that won't rub too much on her wounds. I carry her clothes into the bathroom, setting them on the counter.

She's barely awake, sitting there in the tub. I reach down and place one arm under her knees and the other behind her neck, and then I slowly lift Elena out of the bathtub. I set her on the floor, standing upright, and wrap a towel around her. Then I drain the water out of the tub. I take the towel that's wrapped around her and gently blot her skin, drying her off as carefully as I can.

I grab her underwear off of the counter, lean down, and slip them onto her feet, sliding them up her legs. And I don't really know what to feel about the amount of trust she has in me, but I know I don't deserve it. I take her nightgown and carefully slip it over her head, pulling the delicate straps up her arms to rest on her shoulders.

"Let's get you in bed. You need rest." As I pick her up again, she wraps her arms around my neck.

And then I make a choice that I've never made for any girl here. I'm about to do something that I've always told my girls and myself was off limits. Instead of carrying Elena to her own bed, I carry her across the hall to my room and lay her in my own bed. And I know I've made the right decision. Her eyes flutter open, and as she focuses on where she is, she starts panicking.

"D-damon, This-this is your room. I-I'm not supposed to be here. You-you said your girls weren't allowed to sleep in your bed." She sits up in the bed, cringing in pain at the movement.

I walk over to her and rub her shoulder lightly. "Hey. Hey. I'm here with you. It's ok. I brought you in here. I want you to sleep in my bed tonight, so that I know you're ok. If you want me to, I'll sleep on my couch. I'm not going to hurt you. I won't do anything you don't want me to do. Ok?"

Elena nods and lays back down, curling herself into the fetal position. She looks so small on my massive bed. I go and lay on my couch, not daring to invade Elena's space.

"Damon?" I hear her ask. Her voice is barely above a whisper. "Will you lay with me? Please? I-I don't want to be alone. I trust you."

Her words make my heart swell, but they also instill terror in me. I let her down, and she still trusts me. I was the indirect cause of her suffering tonight, and she still wants me to be with her. She needs me.

I go and lay in the bed near her, but not touching her. However, she scoots her own body closer to mine. Elena turns to face me, and I smile at her. She burrows her head into the crook of my neck, but I still don't want to touch her. I don't want to break her anymore than she's already been broken, if that's even possible.

"Will you-will you hold me? Please? Please make me feel safe. I want-I want to feel safe. I feel safe with you, Damon." A million different emotions are coursing through me after hearing her say that.

I slowly reach my arm around her, gently, carefully, pulling her to me. My other arm rests beneath her neck, and soon she is fast asleep once again.

I fall asleep soon after, watching Elena sleeping, praying that she doesn't have another nightmare tonight. She doesn't need anymore painful reminders of the past. She deserves dreams about rainbows and ponies and long walks at the beach. She deserves so much more than this. She deserves so much more than me.


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N: Chapter 13 is here! This chapter precedes the three chapters that I am most excited about. I know, I say stuff like that a lot. But really, I am so excited about the next few chapters. Really, I'm excited about the rest of the story. **

**Thank you, as always, for your amazing response to my story. It fills my heart with nothing but good things. **

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Chapter 13: An Understanding

Elena's POV

63 days. That's how long it's been since Katherine and the Lockwoods stole any sense of security I had. That's how long it's been since Damon showed how selfless and caring he could be. It's been 62 days since I woke up in Damon's bed, his arm wrapped delicately around me, my head still snuggled into the crook of his neck, breathing in his scent.

I haven't stayed another night in Damon's room. I will be grateful to him forever, though, for that night. I can't thank him enough for how gentle and careful he was with me. And I have thanked him, many times, since then. But he always brushes it off like it was nothing, like he doesn't think he deserves my gratefulness.

In fact, ever since that morning that I woke up with him, he's been pulling away again. And I wish he wouldn't. I wish he knew that I forgive him for leaving me there. I wish he knew that all I could think about when the Lockwoods were hurting me was how badly I wished he were there to save me.

Damon's been keeping himself busy with work. He's been leaving early and staying late at the office. He's hardly ever home in time for dinner.

Meanwhile, I've been carrying on here like nothing happened. I had a few days where I did nothing, just recuperated, gathered my thoughts, told myself that I was strong, that I wouldn't stay broken. And going about my normal routine keeps my mind off of everything that happened. Although, nightmares of that night have replaced the nightmares about my brother. And I'm still a little uncomfortable when people touch me. But, I'm getting better every day. I am Elena Gilbert, and I am strong.

One thing I don't have to do anymore is school. Ric said I had enough credits to graduate a few months early, and that's what I did. He was the best teacher ever. I wish all my teachers in high school had his degree of awesomeneses. I might've actually liked going to school.

Today, Papa Joe and Mama Liz are visiting again. I'm feeling pretty anxious, as their last visit didn't go so well. I hope I get a chance to talk to them, though. I want to know where we stand. I want them to know why I'm here. Maybe I can tell them that their son saved me in more ways than one.

* * *

Damon's POV

I don't know if Mom and Dad could have scheduled their visit for a worse possible time. I know what they want to talk about. They want to talk about Elena. And, frankly, that's a subject I'd rather not discuss right now.

It's not that I'm mad at her or anything like that. I just don't know what to do. I've never had to deal with anything like this, where a girl is so dependent on me, where I'm this needed. It's funny how that works, isn't it? That's all I've ever really wanted out of life, to be needed, wanted. But now that I am actually needed by someone, it scares me shitless.

I can add that to the fact that I am completely undeserving of anything remotely good that Elena Gilbert has to offer me. She's thanked me more than once for helping her that night, and I wish I could just be like a normal person and accept her gratitude. But guilt keeps fighting its way into my core, and I push her away. And I can't help it. I've always done that, and I don't know what to do to change it. I come face-to-face with emotions and actions that I've never encountered before, and I panic. And then, I bail. And that's exactly what I've been doing for two months.

I've been letting my business consume all my free time. I keep my mind on finance all day, instead of Elena. I get home, have a nightcap, go to bed, and try not to dream about Elena. I wake up, stare at her door, and wonder if today will be the day that I'll get some sense knocked into me...if today will be the day that I let myself freely feel what Elena wants me to feel. But that day never comes.

Today, work takes a backseat. I tried to tell Mom and Dad that this isn't a good time, that I was crazy busy with work. They were having none of that. They said we needed to talk. That's never good. Talks with Mom and Dad don't usually end well...for any of us. Take their last visit as a prime example.

One hour. That's how long I have to prepare myself for whatever it is that they're going to throw my way this time. That's how long I have to prepare for another fucking judgmental lecture from my dad about how much of a shithead I am or why I'm not perfect like Stefan. I can't fucking wait.

* * *

Elena's POV

Papa Joe and Mama Liz just walked in the door. They are all smiles and warmth today, the people I remember from my childhood. They're a far cry from the people that left here a couple of months ago.

And there he is...Damon. He looks exceptionally handsome today. He's dressed in a black button up shirt and black jeans. And his hair is perfection, and it's been entirely too long since I've seen him. I've missed him.

He's about to greet them in the foyer, when they see me. "Elena! Sweetie!" Mama Liz embraces me in a hug so tight I feel like she may crush my ribs. At least I know she's happy to see me.

"Elena, dear, it's good to see you." Papa Joe hugs me, as well. It's brief, but it's the same warm hug he would give me when they would leave after their visits to my house.

They turn their attention to Damon, each hugging him in turn. The hug from his mom is warm and long and loving. But the hug from Giuseppe is filled with tension. Apparently, Damon has daddy issues, too.

Stefan and Caroline just came downstairs, and while Giuseppe's hug with Damon was tense and cold, when he hugs Stefan, it's warm and loving. Favoritism...yet another thing we have in common. Damon and I are more alike than either of us really knows. Maybe that's why I'm so drawn to him.

After everyone finishes the giant hugfest, Mama Liz and Papa Joe go upstairs to put their luggage in their room. They're going to be staying for a few nights, and I'm glad. I'm sure I'll have a chance sometime to speak to them alone.

Damon looks at me, and a part of me is filled with hope. I know it's false hope, it always is, but I can't help it. I keep thinking that this will be the day that he'll finally open up and let his walls down and stop acting like what he did was nothing. But, it's not today. He turns and walks up the stairs, and I will have to wait another day for him to come around.

* * *

Damon's POV

Damn it. I was close. I was so fucking close. I was so close to running over to Elena and hugging her and telling her how sorry I was about everything and how much I wish she could forgive me. Because no matter how many times she says she forgives me, I can never bring myself to believe her.

I don't see how she can be so willing to overlook every bad thing I've done to her just because I was nice to her one night. She needed me, and I was there. Simple as that. If I was her, I would be running for the hills right now. I did tell her she was welcome to leave. I don't want her to stay here if she doesn't want to be here. John Gilbert can take his money and his fucking stipulations and stick them up his sorry ass. But she insisted on staying.

I get it. She doesn't want to face her dad or her uncle or life outside of this house. But I wanted to offer her that chance anyway. Deep inside, though, I'm glad she stayed. I like knowing that she's okay and not in the hands of an alcoholic child abuser.

* * *

Elena's POV

I decided to go upstairs and hang out in my room until Mama Liz and Papa Joe get settled in. But as soon as I got up here, they summoned me to their room.

I'm sitting on an elegant wooden armchair, and they are seated on a sofa across from me. They look happy, and that helps me to relax a little.

"Elena, sweetie, how are you?" Mama Liz asks, her voice laden with concern.

"I'm fine. I went through a rough patch a couple of months ago, but I'm bouncing back."

"What do you mean by 'rough patch?' Did Damon hurt you again?" Giuseppe sounds more than a little accusatory, and I decide to nip that in the bud.

"No. Damon has actually been very kind to me. He helped me when I really needed it, and I can never thank him enough. Really. What happened was-well...I don't want to get into all the nasty details, but I was hurt by some people, and Damon helped me afterwards."

Mama Liz smiles, but Papa Joe looks like he doesn't believe me. Or maybe he doesn't want to believe me.

"I'm glad my son did something right this time. It's about time he started caring about someone other than himself." It's obvious that Damon and Giuseppe have issues. I wish Giuseppe could see how much good Damon has in him.

"He does. He's done many nice things for me since I've been here. And he cares about the other people here, like Stefan and Ric. Damon has a lot of good in him, Papa." I don't know why I feel the need to defend Damon so badly, but it makes my heart hurt hearing Papa Joe talk badly about him. I guess it's because that's something my dad would do, and I know how it feels to have a dad who thinks the worst of you.

"Elena, dear, why are you here? I wanted to ask you that last time we were here, but I never got the chance to because-"

"Because our son decided to make a scene!"

"Giuseppe, enough of that!" Thank you, Mama Liz.

"I'm here because my Uncle John paid Damon a significant sum of money to take me in. He wanted Damon to, um, to break me." I pause. "I don't know if you heard, but Dad gave John custody of me several months ago. Jeremy died, and I was responsible for his death, and Dad felt like his parenting skills weren't up to snuff."

"And then your uncle sold you off to my son. That piece of shit. And don't let anyone tell you that you killed your brother. You know you're not the one at fault there." I smile and nod at Papa Joe.

"Damon hasn't, has he? Broken you, I mean. I mean, you look good. But I don't want to think of my son as some heartless fiend." I appreciate Mama Liz's concern. I decide not to tell her about how broken I was two months ago. She doesn't need to know that Damon is partially to blame for what happened, and Giuseppe, especially, doesn't need that bit of information.

"No. He hasn't. I'll admit, he tried when I first came here. But I told him about my past, and he hasn't tried to do anything else to me. Like I said, he's been good to me. Although,..." I want to tell them how much I miss him, and how I wish he wouldn't keep avoiding me, but I don't know if I should. Too late now I guess.

"Although, what, Elena?" Giuseppe inquires.

"I told you how a couple of months ago I went through a rough patch and Damon helped me. Well, he feels bad about what happened, because he thinks that it's his fault. But it wasn't! But he's kind of been avoiding me since then, and if you talk to him later, will you just tell him that I miss him? Or tell him that I'd really like to spend some time with him."

"Sure, sweetheart. Damon has a tendency to run from his problems, as I'm sure you've noticed. He's been that way since he was quite young."

"I know. I just wish he would stop trying to run from me."

"We'll talk to him, if you'd like us to. I know I'm hard on him, but it would seem he means a great deal to you."

I simply nod. Damon is my savior, in more ways than one.

* * *

Damon's POV

I have a massive headache just aching to rear it's ugly head full force. Right now it's just a dull ache right between my eyes, but I can feel it wanting to pound it's way across my skull like a fucking sledgehammer. And just when I think I'm getting some relief, I hear pounding on my door. And now, my head is throbbing simultaneously with the incessant knocking. This better be good.

"Yeah. I'm coming! God damn, stop knocking!"

I open the door and Mom and Dad are there. Not exactly who I was hoping would be behind that door. I don't know who I'd hoped it would be, but certainly not them.

"Can we come in, Son?" It just had to be Mom that asked that. I can't say no to my mom. So, I hold my arm out towards the small sitting area in my room, and we all go and sit down.

"Damon, we were just talking with Elena. She had nothing but good things to say about you. I was quite surprised." Of course Dad would be surprised by someone saying anything remotely good about me. According to Dad, I'm not good. I'm the bad son. I'm the son that was shipped off halfway across the country, because Dad didn't think I was a good influence on perfect little Stefan.

"Believe it or not, Pops, I actually do good things sometimes. I'm not a complete fuc-er, failure."

Mom smiles at me appreciatively.

"No need to get shitty with me, Damon." Mom looks at Dad disapprovingly, and I smile a tense smile.

"Giuseppe, we came in here to discuss Elena, not your personal issues with our son." My mom is the best.

"You're right. About Elena, she said she went through something a couple of months ago. She called it a 'rough patch,' I believe. Care to shine any light on that subject? She didn't seem too keen on talking about it." Yeah, neither am I. I really don't need another thing for Dad to judge me on. I don't need another failure for him to add to his list.

"She got hurt. I helped her. That's basically it. John brought her here, and he told me he was paying me to break her. And I broke her, and then I realized that he was wrong. She didn't need to be broken. She didn't deserve that. So I helped her."

"Elena told us that you weren't the one that broke her. Are you telling us that she was lying?" No. I'm telling you that Elena doesn't know what the fuck she's talking about. She was broken because of me. She got hurt because of me. She should hate me. I hate me.

"No, Dad. Look. Someone else was involved in hurting her, but it was my fault that she got hurt."

Dad looks taken aback. "Wow. Damon Salvatore accepts responsibility for his actions. Maybe my son has changed."

"Damon, dear, Elena told us that she misses you. She told us that she wishes you would spend time with her." Mom looks like she's trying not to smile. I'm sure she's picturing white weddings and grandchildren and picket fences at the thought of a girl actually wanting to spend time with me. Hate to break it you, Ma, but I'm no good for Elena. I'm just not.

"I don't think that's a good idea. I haven't done right by her. She deserves better than what I have to offer."

Dad looks surprised again. "Son. Don't you think you should leave Elena's decisions up to her? If she thinks you are worthy of her time, maybe you should spend some time with her. I never thought I'd say this, but maybe you are good for her."

Now it's my turn to be surprised. Who is this man, and what did he do with my dad?

"I'm just saying, we've known Elena since she was very young. And she deserves happiness. And for whatever reason, she is happy with you. When she was talking about you, she had a certain glow in her eyes. We care deeply about Elena's well-being, as do you, if I'm seeing things right."

I nod and look away. "Of course, I care about her well-being. But she's 18, and I'm 27. She's incredibly innocent and naive, and I'm just...not. And, I've hurt her."

"But she forgives you, Son. Accept it and move on."

"Son?" Mom has that look in her eyes that she gets when she has a brilliant idea. "I have an idea." Did I call it or what?

"I'm all ears, Mom."

"Why don't you take Elena out on a date?" A what? I haven't dated in I don't know how long...at least three years. Katherine's version of a date was spending ridiculous amounts of money and marathon sex sessions. And those were few and far between. I know now it's because she had her little fuck buddy on the side.

"A date, Mom? Please tell me you aren't serious."

"I'm dead serious, Son. Take her out somewhere special. Take her out for the weekend! She missed out on so much as a child. You could take her to the mall or to the fair or anything like that. She's never experienced those things before. Stay in a fancy hotel, spoil her rotten. You want to know what she deserves? She deserves to have everything she wants and more. And right now, Damon, she wants you."

I look to Dad for some help with this one, because of all people, I would think that he would have some conniption with what Mom is suggesting. But he just looks at me, awaiting my response. And I have no idea what I'm going to do, but I agree.

And now I'm fucking freaking the fuck out. I'm taking an eighteen year old girl on a date. I'm taken Elena Gilbert on a date...for a whole weekend.

"Well, Son, we'll leave you alone, so you can get planning. We expect to hear all about it when you get back!" Mom is way too happy right now. And suddenly, that headache is hitting full force around my skull. I'm screwed...completely and totally screwed.


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N: Here we go! This is the first of three chapters about Damon and Elena's weekend date. I love this chapter. I loved writing it. And I hope you love it, too.**

**Thank you all for the response to the last chapter! You guys are the best!**

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Chapter 14: First Date Jitters

Damon's POV

Today's the day. I didn's sleep a wink last night. I couldn't stop thinking about the potential train wreck I signed up for. I haven't even told Elena what we're doing yet. I didn't know how to. It's like I've reverted back to being a fucking teenager. Actually, I don't think I was ever this nervous even back then. I can't believe I'm this damn anxious over a date. But it's Elena Gilbert we're talking about here, and my mom is right, she deserves the world. She deserves everything I can possibly give her and more.

I persuaded Mom to help me distract Elena last night so that I could pack her suitcase. I didn't pack her much, because today we're going to the mall, and I figured we'd buy whatever she's lacking. Both of our bags are in the back of my Camaro, and in less than an hour we're going to be heading off to the airport.

I decided to take her to Texas...Dallas to be exact. Why? Well, for one, everything is bigger in Texas. It's a fact. Number two, I've decided to take her to an amusement park...Six Flags. And number three, I just like Dallas. And I'm hoping she does, too.

I make my way downstairs, and I see that Elena is hard at work making breakfast in the kitchen with my mom. She's completely oblivious to the fact that she's about to be whisked away. Oh God, the nerves are back. What am I gonna say to her? I'm regretting this already. Shit.

Mom sees me pacing across the dining room, and she comes over to me and wraps her arms around my neck. I hug her back, and I wonder how I let my mom get me into this mess.

"If I didn't know any better, I'd say my son was nervous about this date." Mom smiles at me, and I roll my eyes. I refuse to let her know how right she is. She, of course, sees right through me.

"Damon, my sweet boy, you'll be fine. Trust me, Elena wants this. I know you don't believe me, but she wants your attention. She wants your time. I know you feel guilty about whatever it is that happened, but Elena forgives you. And it's time that you forgive yourself." Easier said than done, Mom.

"Thanks, Mom. You're the best. Truly." She really is. I love my mom. She always sees the best in everybody. She's always seen the best in me.

Elena brings breakfast into the dining room, and soon everyone is seated around the table. We all dig in, eating homemade waffles, eggs, bacon, and fresh fruit. Mom and Elena outdid themselves. As soon as breakfast is over, I realize that it's almost time for us to head off. Elena has already started cleaning the table.

My fucking palms are sweaty. I feel less like a man right now, and more like a nerdy teenager with bad acne who's about to ask someone out that is way out of his league. I walk into the kitchen, where Elena is slaving away over the kitchen sink. I take the plate that's in her hand and set it down on the counter. She looks at me in utter confusion, and I take her hand and lead her to the entryway.

Everyone is standing near the door, waiting to see us off. Elena looks even more confused, and I still don't have any idea what I'm doing. Caroline hugs Elena and tells her to have a wonderful time, and Elena looks at her like she's crazy. More hugs from Stefan, Ric, and Jenna ensue. Elena keeps looking at me for answers, but I still haven't found quite the way to tell her what we're doing. I know she wants to spend time with me, but does she really want to go on a date with me? I guess we're about to find out.

Mom and Dad hug us both. Dad whispers in my ear that if I don't keep Elena safe, if any harm should befall her, he will disown me. Good to know he hasn't gone completely soft on me. Mom tells Elena that she wants to hear all about everything when we get back. Elena just nods and suddenly we're all standing around in awkward silence.

"Well, we better get going. See you all on the flip side." I pull my sunglasses on my face, take Elena's hand and lead her to my Camaro. I open the door for her, like any chivalrous male should do, and she sits. I run around to the driver's side, get in, and we're off.

* * *

Elena's POV

I am so completely and totally lost. One second, I'm washing dishes. The next, Damon is taking me to God knows where for who knows what. Everyone else at the house seemed to know what's going on.

Our drive to wherever we're going is silent. Damon looks like he's contemplating something serious in his head.

"Um, Damon? Where are we going?"

"If I told you, it wouldn't be a surprise, now would it? Don't you worry, it's nothing bad. I just thought you needed to get away for a while. We both do."

Truer words have never been spoken. I need a break from the boarding house. Damon has let me have more freedom since...the incident. I've been to town a few times, mostly to buy groceries or clothes at the cute little boutique on the square, but I don't like to stay gone too long. I don't like to think about who I could run into when I'm out.

The rest of the drive is quiet. All I know right now is that we just pulled in to the airport parking lot. Damon gets out and walks around to open my door. And I blush at his sweet gesture. I never would have thought that Damon was the chivalrous type.

He pops his trunk, and I see that he packed me a bag. We wind our way through the crowds and security and all the other nonsense that we have to deal with before we board our flight to the great unkown. An announcement comes over the intercom that first-class for the flight to Dallas, Texas is now boarding.

"That's us." Damon takes my hand, and we board the plane.

Dallas...We're going to Dallas. I'm envisioning cowboy hats and thick country accents and maybe a tumbleweed or two. Our seats in first-class are incredibly nice. I'm sitting in the aisle seat, and Damon is by the window. He pulls out his laptop, and I'm wondering if we're going on another business trip. But then I see that he's filling out an auto reply message for his email. He's on vacation, busy for the weekend. I feel my cheeks turning red when Damon catches me spying on him. But he's not mad. He just smiles and closes his laptop and puts it away.

I fell asleep somewhere between Virginia and Texas, and I feel Damon shaking me awake. "Hey, sleepyhead, we're here. You're drooling all over your pillow. You must be dreaming about me." I shoot awake, and Damon is smirking at me, amusement in his eyes.

"Please. Don't flatter yourself. And I don't drool." I smile, and Damon chuckles to himself. We get off our plane, grab our luggage, and we catch a shuttle to a car rental place.

Damon is about to rent a jet black Dodge Charger, when memories of the night my brother died flood my mind. This car is almost identical to Jeremy's. I grab Damon's arm and shake my head no, and he looks confused.

"Jeremy drove a Charger. That's what I was driving when...you know."

"Yeah. The Charger's a no go, dude. What else ya got? Something sexy and fast." Damon has a way with words. He has a way of making my insides turn to mush just by uttering a few simple words.

We are led to a cherry red Ford Mustang GT. It screams sexy and fast, and Damon agrees. Minutes later, we're driving off the lot in it.

Okay, so Dallas isn't what I had pictured in my mind. I haven't seen a single person wearing a cowboy hat. There definitely aren't any tumbleweeds around, and there aren't people riding horses on the streets.

We drive to downtown Dallas, and the buildings are so tall and so beautiful. There's such an eclectic mix of old and new. We pull up to a hotel, The Joule, and Damon has our car parked for us as we make our way up to the penthouse suite.

The suite is amazingly elegant. Damon tells me that I can stay in the master suite, and he'll stay in the other bedroom. I appreciate him putting us in separate rooms, but at the same time, I miss being close to him. I haven't been really comfortable with other people touching me the last two months, but Damon is the exception. He's been nothing but gentle, cautious, delicate. So unlike the Damon I first met, but just what I've needed.

I get acquainted with my room, and it's absolutely impeccable. The bedding is luxurious. The decor is modern, elegant and refined. There's even a telescope in my room.

I check out the bathroom and my jaw drops. It's massive. The bathtub looks so inviting, and the shower looks big enough for both Damon and I. And then, my thoughts are on Damon and I taking a shower together, and I'm suddenly really really hot.

"Do you like it?" Damon is standing in my doorway, and I hope he doesn't notice how flushed I am.

"Like it? I love it!"

"Good. I'm glad. But, for now, it's time to leave the lap of luxury."

"Where are we going?"

"We're going to the land of extremely overpriced merchandise, fast food, and obnoxious teenagers spending all of daddy's money...aka the mall. Now come on, you have some money to blow, and I have some people watching to do."

* * *

Damon's POV

The look on Elena's face when I told her I'm taking her to the mall was priceless. I could tell she was trying to hold back her excitement. I still can't believe the girl has never been to the mall before.

I've been to Dallas enough times to know my way around the city. I know where just about every mall within 50 miles of us is. And I plan on hitting up as many of them as we can today. Elena's gonna get a mall overdose.

Our first stop is The Galleria. We park in the parking garage and make our way inside through Nordstrom. Elena's eyes are already bugging out, and she hasn't even seen the ice skating rink yet. She's gonna freak out. We meander our way over to the women's section, where a middle-aged saleswoman asks us if we need help. I tell her to find some items that she thinks would look good on Elena and to bring them to us. Elena gives her all the information on size and color preferences, and a few minutes later, the saleswoman returns with a large stack of clothes.

She takes Elena to a dressing room, and Elena closes the door to begin trying everything on. I sit on a couch right outside her door.

"Oh my God. Damon! No." She opens the door, and she's holding a beautiful blue dress that will come in handy in a couple of nights. "These clothes are way too expensive. This dress is," she looks around as if the shopping police are watching us, "$700." She whispers.

"And the problem is?" This day is about her. It's about spoiling her rotten. Money is not an issue today. I told myself that if John Gilbert was going to pay me half a million dollars that was rightfully Elena's in the first place, then I may as well spend that money on Elena.

"I can't let you do this, Damon. It's too much."

"Elena, you deserve this. I'm not taking no for an answer. And I don't want to hear anything else today about what stuff costs, understand?" I try to use my most authoritative voice.

"OK. If you insist." She smiles at me, and I know then that she is as excited about trying everything on as I am about seeing her in everything.

Ten outfits and $3,500 later, we leave the store. And we head into what I like to call "the real mall." It's the part of the mall where there is store after store after store with the occasional pretzel shop or fast food joint sandwiched in between. Elena is looking around, completely awestruck.

"Lead the way, you. We'll go wherever you want to go." I smile at her, and she smiles back at me with the most breathtakingly beautiful smile I've ever seen. Maybe Mom was right. Maybe this is good for the both of us.

Two hours later, we've hit every store that Elena wanted to go to. I'm holding about 25 different bags, and we're both starving. We make our way to the food court, and I tell Elena to pick what we'll be eating. She picks McDonald's.

Elena ordered a quarter pounder with cheese, hold the pickles, add bacon. My kinda girl. She's also enjoying a large order of fries and a chocolate milkshake. I've never seen her quite as ravenous as she is right now. It's refreshing to see a girl eat without a worry in the world. Elena takes a bite of her burger, and there's ketchup on her nose, and she doesn't give a fuck. I'm finding it incredibly easy to relax around her. I don't know what I was so nervous about.

We finish eating and leave the Galleria. We hit four more malls on our mall tour. We eat pretzels and buy bags of candy in bulk. And when all is said and done, Elena has amassed no less than 50 bags of merchandise. And I would buy 50 more bags of stuff if it meant seeing her as happy as she was today.

I tired out before she did. Eventually, I just handed her my credit card, told her to have fun, and let her run rampant around the mall. I sat and people watched. I got hit on at least ten times, turning them all down. I made one girl cry. Elena returned two hours later, laden down with so many bags, she could barely even walk.

And now, as we're driving back to our hotel, the day is catching up with her. I see her head bob up and down a few times, and then she's asleep. I pull up to the valet station at the hotel, walk around to Elena's side of the car, and pick her up in my arms. I tell the driver to have Elena's bags brought up to our room, and I give him a generous tip.

As the elevator makes it's way up to our floor, I take the time to enjoy the feeling of having Elena in my arms. And for once it isn't because she's just been through some kind of trauma. It's just us, Damon and Elena. No extra baggage.

The elevator opens, and I take Elena to her room. I lay her on the sofa and pull down the covers on her bed. Then, I slip Elena's shoes off and lay her on her bed, pulling the covers up around her. And I realize, as I look down at her sleeping so peacefully, that this is why Mom suggested this. Because today was worth every penny, it was worth every single bag that was just brought up to our suite...because Elena was happy today. And everything about our first day in Dallas was perfect. And we still have two days to go.


	15. Chapter 15

**A/N: Finally, here's chapter 15! I'm sorry I didn't have it up sooner, but I've had company at my house, and I haven't had a whole lot of time to write. This chapter is the second day of Damon and Elena's date. In case you're wondering, I chose Dallas and Six Flags, because I live in the DFW area, and that's very familiar to me. Last time I went to Six Flags, I couldn't stop thinking about the possibilities for this chapter. I hope you enjoy it!**

**As always, I love you all for showing my story so much love! **

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Chapter 15: Date Weekend, Part Two

Elena's POV

I just woke up in my bed, still dressed, and well rested. Last night was the first night in entirely too long that I wasn't woken up by a nightmare. Instead, I dreamed about him. I dreamed about Damon. More specifically, I dreamed about Damon and I making love, and it was amazing. And I'm all hot and bothered and wishing that it wasn't just a dream.

I'm not sure what exactly we're doing here. I mean, I know we're not on a business trip, so what is this? If I didn't know any better, I'd say we were on a date...apparently, a really long date. But, seriously, Damon Salvatore dating me?! He's 27, for God's sake. Not to mention the fact that he is insanely hot. Why would a guy like him go for girl like me?

I told Mama Liz and Papa Joe that I wanted to spend time with Damon, so I'm guessing that message got relayed to him. Which leads to the question-does he really want to be here-alone-with me or is he only here because he feels obligated to do as his parents requested?

I'm contemplating this thought, when Damon walks into my room. He's carrying a tray full of delicious looking food. He sets the tray down on the table in my room and opens the curtain.

"Rise and shine, sleepyhead. I have breakfast. And we have somewhere to be in an hour."

I slide out of bed and go sit at the table. Damon takes a seat across from me, and sets food out in front of both of us. It looks like he ordered everything room service had to offer. There are pastries, fruit, scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage, ham, fried potatoes, toast, biscuits and gravy, and juice and coffee.

"Eat up. You'll need the energy for our date today." Damon says with a smirk.

"Um, is that what this is? I mean, this trip...is it a date?"

Damon looks like he's unsure of what to say next. "Uh, well, yeah. If that's what you want. I understand if you don't. If you want, this can just be a vacation, no strings, no expectations, just fun."

"It's what I want. A date, that is." I say, blushing. I still get flustered so easily around Damon. I don't see how any woman could not be. "But, um, is that what you want? I mean, I'm pretty sure your mom and dad told you that I talked to them about you. I just don't want you to feel obligated to-"

"Elena, listen to me. I'm a grown man, and I make my own decisions. And I made the decision to give you the weekend of your life. So, enjoy it, and stop trying to over think things. Mmmk?"

"K." I smile at him, while excitement runs rampant throughout my body. He wants to give me the weekend of my life. He wants to be here with me.

Damon and I eat breakfast, and it's absolutely delicious. We don't finish half of the food he ordered, and I feel a little guilty wasting all that food, but he assures me that it's okay. He'll just put the leftover food in our refrigerator.

"So, where are we going today?" Not that I think he'll answer me, but it's worth a try.

"Don't worry about that. Just make sure you wear something comfortable. Wear comfortable shoes and be prepared to have fun in epic proportions." He winks at me and walks out of my room, leaving me to get ready.

* * *

Damon's POV

She knows. I feel both relief and terror at that fact. I don't know what her expectations are now that she knows that this is a date, but I feel the need to live up to and exceed all of them.

Today, I'm taking her to Six Flags. Money can't buy happiness-that's how the saying goes. But money can rent you a whole amusement park for the day, so that you can spoil a girl and give her the best day of her life...and if that isn't money buying happiness, I don't know what is.

I know I didn't need to rent out the whole park for just us. She should get the whole amusement park experience of waiting in impossibly long lines and paying exorbitant amounts of money for rigged midway games. But, today, I want the whole experience to be about her. I want her to get to ride on anything her heart desires as many times as she wants. I want her to be able to eat funnel cake till she pukes. I want to give her the chance to win gigantic stuffed animals that probably won't fit in our rental. But most of all, I just want to see her smiling and having fun.

I go to my room and get dressed in a black tank top and blue jeans. I do my hair, brush my teeth, and spend way too long checking myself out in the mirror. But, damn, I look good.

When I leave my room, Elena is sitting on the couch in our living area, and she's wearing short little denim shorts, a white tank top, and black sneakers. Her hair is in a high ponytail, and her makeup is nice and simple, just the way I like it. She smiles at me when she sees me, and it's glorious.

"You ready?" She nods, and we go downstairs to the car. And now, I'm about to do something that will truly test how much trust she has placed in me. "Elena...do you trust me?"

"Of course I do. Why?" She didn't hesitate for one second when she said that.

"I'm about to do something, and I don't want you to freak out. I don't want to make you uncomfortable in any way." She looks at me expectantly, waiting for me to explain myself further. "I'm going to put a blindfold over your eyes. I want the place I'm taking you today to be a surprise. Is that ok?"

She seems to have a bit of trepidation over this idea, as if she's unsure of whether she should place so much trust in me. But she gives me her consent, and I reach into my pocket, pulling out a black blindfold. I very gently place it on her eyes, and then I ask her once again if she is comfortable with this. She says that she's fine.

"Well, then, let's be on our way. Don't want to be late." And we're off. Elena is silent the whole trip to Six Flags. I can tell she's still a little nervous about the whole not being able to see thing, so I reach over and squeeze her hand gently to let her know that everything is going to be ok. She jumps a little at the contact, but then she turns her head to me, squeezes my hand back, and smiles.

We pull into the parking lot, and I walk over to lead her out of the car. She takes my hand, and I slowly walk her over to the entrance. I show the man at the gate my ID, and he immediately lets us through. I walk Elena out to where all the fun begins and turn her to where she's facing the beautiful old-fashioned carousel that meets us right up front.

I take the blindfold off, and her eyes are squinting as they adjust to the light. As soon as she takes in her surroundings, she turns to me, her face lit up with a priceless expression, and she's completely unable to speak. Yeah. Today's gonna be the best day of her life.

* * *

Elena's POV

Oh. My. God. He brought me to an amusement park. Right in front of me is an enormous carousel with lush green bushes and a fountain in front of it. It's the definition of picture perfect. I hug Damon tightly, unable to say thank you with words.

"So...the whole park is ours for the day. You're in charge, woman. Lead the way."

I look all around me, trying to decide where to start. I decide to just go...we have all day, after all. I see the first ride I want to go on. If we're going to do this, why not start big?

I lead Damon over to the Titan, a freakishly tall rollercoaster. And I almost burst out laughing right then and there at the look on Damon's face.

"Um, you ok?" I ask him. He actually looks like he may pass out. I figured Damon would be all about the danger and excitement of rides like this.

"I'm great. This is about you, sweetie." He's really trying to put on a brave, manly face, but I can tell that it's all a facade.

"If you don't want to ride this, you can wait for me here." I just thought I should offer.

He looks at me incredulously. "What? You think I'm scared?" Damon snickers. "Just remember, baby doll, I've been on these rides before. You, on the other hand, are a thrill ride virgin, and if either of us are going to be scared, it should be you."

I just giggle and start walking to get on the Titan. Damon should know by now that I'm pretty fearless. It's going to take a lot more than a rollercoaster to scare me. At least, I'll tell myself that. Truthfully, heights are kinda my weakness.

Before we get on the ride, the ride operator tells us that we have to take off any jewelry we might be wearing, because the force of the ride could rip it right off. I hand him my necklace and bracelet, and then I see Damon hand him a necklace. And I feel my heart stop when I see what's attached to it...my ring...the ring I gave him when we had sex the first time. And I know that he knows I saw it, but he doesn't look at me, and I don't say anything about it. I just can't believe he's kept it all this time. Not only that, but he's kept it around his neck. I'm absolutely speechless.

We get in the first car, and the ride operator makes sure we are secured in our seat. And then, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, and we're off. We're going up slowly, giving me enough time to start regretting my decision as the ground gets further and further away. And then, we're at the top of an incredibly tall peak, staring down...really, really, really far down. Before I have a chance to process the fact that we're about to plummet back down to earth, we start that plummet at an ungodly fast speed.

I'm screaming and closing my eyes, and I can feel Damon squeezing my hand, and this is basically the best feeling ever. I've never felt so free before...so exhilerated. The rest of the ride is so fast, I barely know what's going on. I just know we're both screaming and laughing and getting our bodies jerked left and right. And then, suddenly, it's over.

* * *

Damon's POV

I am so fucking glad that ride is over. I'm surprised I didn't shit myself after that first drop. I look over at Elena, and she's practically hyperventilating, but she has a huge smile on her face, and I know that she loved it. And she's gotta be fucking insane. But, if she's going to smile that like that after every ride, then I don't care how much of a pussy I am. I'll ride every fucking ride here ten times over to see her that happy. Although the thought of riding the Titan ten times makes me want to run away and cry.

We get out of our car, and the operator hands us both our jewelry. Elena watches me as I put my necklace back on, tucking her ring into my shirt. I look at her, and she looks away, blushing.

Soon, we're off to the next thrill. Elena wants to ride the giant pirate ship-the one that goes back and forth, higher and higher, till you feel like you're gonna fall right out of your seat. I don't tell her that sitting in the very back row is going to scare the fucking shit out of her when she leads me to the back. I'll let her find out the hard way, just like I did once upon a time.

The ride starts, and soon, we're looking down at the ground as our stomachs fly up into our throats. I have to keep an arm on Elena, because she keeps flying up out of her seat. She has a mixture of joy and sheer terror on her face. It's freaking adorable.

As we're walking to our next ride, I hear her gasp, and then she's pulling me to the left. "Damon! Damon! I have to have that panda!" She's pointing to the biggest giant stuffed panda I've ever seen. And I know that soon I'm going to have to carry that thing all around the park with me, because there's no way we're leaving here without that bear.

The game seems easy enough. I just have to knock down three bottles with one ball. No problem. Easy. I throw the ball and two bottles fall off the stand, but one decides to fall over without falling off. Damn weighted bottles. I try seven more times. And I finally knock all the god damn bottles off of the stand, as Elena screams and hugs me. The kid running the booth hands Elena her panda, and it's almost as big as she is.

We ride a few more rides. They're all pretty tame, and then Elena tells me that she's hungry. We head to a hot dog joint, and Elena orders french fries that are doused in cheese and bacon and chili as well as a chocolate milkshake. I don't know how she can eat like that and look as amazingly hot as she does. She digs in to her fries with vigor.

"Whoa, there, no one's gonna take your food, 'Lena." She stops eating and looks at me as her cheeks blush a beautiful brilliant red.

"Sorry. I just, um, I got a little excited, cause you know, bacon cheddar cheese fries." She smiles at me, and I laugh.

After we eat, we decide to take a nice leisurely stroll to let our food digest. We're walking side by side, quiet, just absorbing our surroundings. But, then, I feel Elena's hand, and she's locking her fingers with mine. She looks up at me, asking without words if this is okay, and I smile softly at her to let her know that this is most definitely okay.

* * *

Elena's POV

Damon and I are holding hands, walking around Six Flags, and I've never been happier. I still can't believe he's doing all of this for me.

"This is really nice, Damon. I don't know what I did to deserve this, but thank you. Nobody's ever done anything like this for me before."

"That's exactly why you deserve this." Damon says, as if it's just common sense. "You deserve nice things, Elena. You deserve to have good in your life. And I wanted to give you that. There's no need to thank me, just enjoy it."

I am. I am enjoying this so much. We finish our stroll, and Damon wins me three more stuffed animals at some of the games we pass by. And I keep laughing at him, because he's carrying a giant panda, a stuffed banana, a bunny and an enormous stuffed Tweety Bird.

I take Damon on three more rollercoasters. None of them are as scary as the Titan, but they're all pretty thrilling. We also rode a few other rides, including the train and the swings. And then, we ride the Superman Tower of Power. And I'm regretting my decision as soon as we get to the top of the tower.

Damon just looks at me and smiles broadly, and then we're dropping, and I'm screaming. And we keep dropping until we're almost back down to the ground, and then, we're hoisted back up to the top. We keep dropping and going up and I feel like I'm going to throw up any second. And then, luckily for me, it's over.

Damon looks over at me, and I'm sure my face is ten shades of green. He just laughs at me. I playfully punch his arm, and he laughs even harder. I'm glad I'm able to amuse him. Asshole.

"How about some funnel cake?" Damon asks, as we start walking again.

I look at him like he's out of his mind. Because right now, I'm pretty sure he is. "I really don't think I can handle anything with the word cake in it right now. Or food for that matter. And what is funnel cake anyway? It sounds disgusting."

Damon's eyes widen, and he tells me that funnel cake is like eating a piece of heaven. Only it's pieces of fried dough topped off with powdered sugar, chocolate syrup, strawberries, whipped cream, and ice cream. And, I can feel myself gagging with each topping that he names. It would sound delicious if my stomach hadn't just been tossed up and down.

Before I can protest anymore, Damon has a funnel cake ordered and sitting in front of us. And it looks amazing. I decide I'll be nice and try a bite, and he was right. It's like eating heaven. And I still don't feel so well, but I keep eating the funnel cake, because it's freaking good. But, I must have pushed it too far, because I take another bite, and I can feel my stomach start to spasm.

I run to the trash can and empty the contents of my stomach into it. After several minutes of puking, I stand up, wipe my mouth with a napkin, and sit back down across from Damon. He's smiling at me.

"I told myself I was going to feed you funnel cake until you puked today. Mission accomplished."

"Ugh. I don't want anymore funnel cake. Ever. Evil, evil stuff."

Damon laughs and hands me some Tic Tacs. "It'll help with the barf breath." Lovely. "Whaddaya say we get back to the hotel? I think we've had enough fun for today. And I'm getting a little tired of carrying your menagerie of stuffed animals."

I laugh and tell him that it's fine with me if we leave. I'm starting to get pretty tired myself. But before we exit the park, we ride the carousel together. He sits on a black horse, which suits him perfectly, and I sit on an ivory colored horse right next to him. And it's the perfect end to my amusement park experience.

* * *

Damon's POV

We just left Six Flags, and I'm driving back to our hotel. Somehow, I managed to fit all of Elena's stuffed things into the Mustang, but I can barely see out of the rear window.

Today couldn't have gone any better. I saw Elena smile. I saw her laugh. I saw her being free, being herself. And I can honestly say that I've never seen anything or anyone so beautiful.

We make it back to our hotel, and I have the car parked after I take Elena's things out. We take the elevator up to our room, and I place all of the stuffed animals in the living room. Elena looks at them proudly, as if they're precious treasures to her.

"Um, I'm going to go get cleaned up. I feel gross." She may feel gross, but she still looks incredible.

"OK. I think I'll get cleaned up, too. I smell like a pig."

Elena laughs, and we both go to our bathrooms and wash up. When I finish, I put on black pajama pants and a white tank top. I walk out of my room, and Elena is sitting down, hugging her panda, wearing her usual sleepwear, a camisole and short shorts.

I sit next to her, and she smiles broadly at me. Her face is glowing, and she smells fucking awesome.

"Thank you so much, Damon. I know you said not to thank you, but I've never had so much fun before."

"Like I said, you deserved it."

Elena puts her panda down on the floor, and scoots closer to me, hugging my arm to her. "Damon?"

"Yeah."

"Would you...um, I mean...if you want,...um, I'm not really sure how to ask this. But, this is a date, and I feel closer to you than I've ever felt to anyone. And I just wanted to know if you would sleep in my room with me tonight." She whispers the last part so quietly, I can barely hear her.

She wants me to sleep with her. And I want to sleep with her. But the last thing I want to do is take advantage of her or do something that she's going to regret when our date is over. Sure, she wants me now, but who knows if she'll feel the same when we get back home, and there's all the fucking shit there to remind her of all the ways I've hurt her. I just don't know if I can do this.

"We don't have to do, you know, anything. We can just sleep. But I'd like it if you were sleeping in the same bed as me. I just feel safe with you."

That makes me feel a little better. I have enough self-control to not fuck her silly, even though I really, really, really want to right now. But, I'll be sleeping mere inches from her. Add that to the fact that I've never slept with any of my girls in the same bed. The rules explicitly state that we do not share a bed. But, Elena and I aren't exactly in rule territory anymore. We haven't been for quite some time now.

"If you don't want to, that's fine. I understand. I know how you feel about sharing your bed at home. And I don't want to make you uncomfortable." She's fucking worried about making me uncomfortable. God, this girl is amazing.

"Elena, stop worrying about me. Look, in case you haven't noticed, when it comes to you, rules stopped being an issue a long time ago. I just want you to be sure that this is what you want. You've never shared a bed with a man before, and I don't want you to feel like you have to do this. You don't owe me anything." I don't want her to feel like I expect something from her for taking her out.

"I want this, Damon. I'm sure."

"OK. If you're sure, then I will."

"Well, I'm feeling pretty worn out, so I'm going to go ahead and go to bed. I guess you can join me when you're ready." She says, as she blushes slightly. I tell her that I'm tired, too, and I follow her into the master suite.

She pulls down the covers, gets in the bed, and looks at me expectantly. I slide into the bed next to her, and she turns to face me.

"I had the best time today. I know I've said that already, but I can't tell you that enough. I had a really amazing time."

"I'm glad. I had a pretty amazing time, too. You're definitely not the worst company in the world, Elena Gilbert." Elena laughs, and I love the way her eyes sparkle when she's happy.

"On a scale of one to ten, how does our date compare to other dates you've been on? I mean, I know you've been on more dates than you could possibly remember, but..."

"This is easily a ten." I know she thinks I'm just being nice, but it's true. I don't remember ever having this much fun with a girl. I don't remember ever laughing that much or feeling that damn lucky.

She reaches over and takes my hand as she scoots over closer to me, leaving only an inch or so of space between us. And I can feel my heart racing and my breath picking up. And then, she's leaning her face in to mine, and I feel the softness of her lips as she places a chaste kiss on my cheek.

We look at each other for a minute, and then she leans in again. This time, she kisses my lips, gently. She's still so unsure of herself when it comes to anything intimate. And I know that this is her first kiss, and I can't believe she's sharing it with me.

I cup her face with my hands, and I take charge. I kiss her hungrily, licking her bottom lip with my tongue, begging for entrance into her mouth. She opens her mouth slightly, and she touches her tongue to mine, and she tastes like mint and sugar.

I suck her bottom lip into my mouth, nipping it lightly, and she moans into my mouth, and fuck, it's sexy as hell. I feel her hand trailing down my chest, lower and lower. And shit, I need to stop this. I told myself I wouldn't have sex with her, not tonight, not now. Just sleeping, that's what we agreed upon.

I break away from the kiss, and her lips are plump, swollen and red. "Wow. That was-that was incredible." She says, as she tries to catch her breath. Then, she gasps and covers her mouth. "Oh God, Damon. Oh my God. I kissed you. We kissed. I-I'm sorry."

I smile. She obviously forgot the part where I said the rules ceased to apply to her. "Elena, it's okay. The rules are out the window, remember? And besides, that was only an issue when I was with she-who-shall-not-be-named. I'm more than happy to be kissed by you now. But, I think we need to stop for tonight. Don't want to get too carried away. And besides, we have to get up bright and early. You have a long day ahead of yourself tomorrow."

"There's more?" I nod. "You're spoiling me, Damon Salvatore." I love the way my name sounds when she says it.

"That's the point, Elena Gilbert." She giggles and snuggles into the sheets.

"I liked kissing you. It felt good." She says, yawning afterwards and closing her eyes. I fall asleep long after she does. I can't seem to shut the voices in my head off. All of them are telling me what I already think I know. I try and argue with myself, telling myself that I'm no good for her, that I'll ruin her, that she's only happy right now because I'm doing all these special things for her. What's going to happen when we get back home and back into our normal, everyday routine? What's going to happen when she realizes that she wants to leave the boarding house and venture out and meet other guys, guys closer to her own age?

It doesn't matter, though, how many times I ask myself these questions or how many ways I tell myself that this isn't right. Because, my mind is made up. I'm falling in love.


	16. Chapter 16

**A/N: Chapter 16...wow...chapter 16. This chapter is the last day of Damon and Elena's date. It also has lemons at the end, and I haven't written much smut, so hopefully it isn't horrible.**

**As always, thank you all so so so much for all the love you are showing me and my story. It's such an encouragement.**

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Chapter 16: A Little Bit of Heaven

Damon's POV

I just woke up, sunlight is streaming in through the window, I have a beautiful girl in bed with me, and room service should be delivering a cart full of food in about ten minutes. This day couldn't have started any better.

Elena is still asleep. Her arm is draped over my stomach, and her head is resting on my chest, rising and falling with each breath that I take. Her camisole has risen up so that the hem is just under her breasts, leaving the skin of her stomach and back exposed. I gently run my hand along the small of her back and her eyes flutter open.

"Morning," she says in her adorable, croaky morning voice. "What time is it?"

"It's just past nine. Why? You got somewhere to be?" I say, smirking at her.

Elena smiles back at me. "No, I just don't want to sleep the whole day away. What are we doing today anyway?"

I cringe slightly. I know, I know. I planned this date as just that, a date. But a business acquaintance of Stefan's and mine got wind that I was in the area, and he wants to meet with me today to discuss a potential deal. And it's too important to pass up. But, I have a day full of pampering and primping ahead for Elena, and then I'll be picking her up for dinner. I pray that she isn't angry when I tell her.

"Well, you are going to be spoiled rotten today at a local day spa. I told the ladies to pull out all the stops on you." I pause, hesitating to tell her that I won't be joining her.

"And you?" She asks, awaiting my response. "You'll be there, too, right?"

"Actually, Elena" I say with a sigh, "I have a meeting today. A business associate of mine asked to meet with me today to discuss a potential investment opportunity. I'm sorry. I wanted to spend the day with you, but this is just too important to pass up."

I see the crestfallen look on Elena's face before she covers it up. She's good at that. "It's-it's okay. I know your business is important. I'm sure I'll be okay on my own."

"I'm picking you up for dinner. The good ladies that will be pampering you promised to have you ready by 6." I stroke Elena's face with the back of my hand, and she leans into me, nestling her head into my chest.

"I'll miss you." She looks up at me before placing a soft kiss on my lips.

"And I'll miss you. Trust me, I'd much rather be naked in a room with you than stuck in a stuffy conference room talking about money."

Elena's eyes are nearly bulging out of her head. "Naked?! What do you mean? I'm going to be naked?"

I chuckle, even though I know this isn't funny to her. Who knows what she's thinking. The only times in her life that she's been naked have been, well, not so good.

"Don't worry. You'll have a towel covering your lady parts. If they make you uncomfortable in any way, you tell them to stop. Understand?" Elena nods, relaxing somewhat.

The good people from room service bring our breakfast spread to the room, and we eat and laugh and talk and everything feels so normal. Everything feels right. And I wonder if Elena is thinking the same thing. I wonder if she feels the same pull that I do.

After breakfast, we get ready. I tell Elena not to bother taking a shower, because they'll be cleaning her up at the spa. She looks a little worried, and I keep wondering if I've made the right decision, sending her to a day spa alone.

She dresses in black shorts and a white button up blouse that clings to her waist and hugs her in all the right places. I don't tell her, but I have the blue dress from Nordstrom's in the Mustang already. That's what she'll be wearing to dinner tonight. I can't wait to see her in it.

We go downstairs a little after 10:30, and I take her to the spa, which is only a few blocks away from the hotel. I walk her inside, making sure she's comfortable, as a woman tells Elena to go into a room and change into a plush robe. I use the time to run out to the car and grab the dress. I hand it off to the woman up front, and she puts it away where Elena won't see it until just the right time.

Elena walks out of the changing room in her robe, and I can still see a tinge of anxiety in her. Damn business meetings.

"Elena, if you don't want to do this-"

Elena cuts me off. "No. Damon, I'm fine. Really. And I totally understand about your meeting. I'll be fine." I tell her that I'll check up on her every so often, and she kisses me goodbye.

* * *

Elena's POV

I watch Damon as he walks back to the Mustang and drives away. And I miss him already. And I'm just standing here wondering how I got to this point, where I miss Damon when he's not with me, where I'm kissing him goodbye one second and trying to remember how he tasted the next. I wish he didn't have his business meeting today. I'm feeling pretty nervous about the prospect of getting all done up and messed with. It's just not what I'm used to.

A tall, blonde woman who looks like she's in her early thirties leads me to a room that is dimly lit by candles. It has a long table in the middle of it, and she tells me to undo the knot on my robe and lay on my stomach on the table. After untying my robe, I lay my head on the small pillow at one end of the table, and she walks over and pulls my robe slowly down, exposing my back. She pulls it down farther, placing a warm towel over my butt, and then pulling the robe completely off.

"Miss Gilbert, I'm going to give you a hot stone massage. I'll be placing some hot stones on your back. Please let me know if you're in any discomfort."

"OK. And you can call me Elena."

I feel heat radiating down my back as she lays the stones on me. They're hot, but not uncomfortably hot. In fact, I'm feeling very relaxed right now. Once she has the stones in place, she moves them systematically around my back, and my whole back feels pleasantly hot. I could definitely get used to this.

After the massage, I put my robe back on, and she leads me to a room with a large stone tub. It is set into the floor of the room, and the water has rose petals mixed in it. She leaves the room while I disrobe and step into the warm water. The water smells like roses and vanilla. And I think I could spend the rest of my life in here.

After the bath, I am ushered into a room where I receive a spa facial, complete with cucumber slices on my eyes. And while that's being done, I'm also getting a pedicure and a manicure. I feel like a queen.

My nails are drying, and a petite brunette walks up to me and asks me if I want a Brazilian. I stare at her. A Brazilian what? She notices my confusion, and explains to me what a Brazilian wax is, and I'm sure she can see me blushing. It sounds incredibly painful. But it also sounds like something I could surprise Damon with. So, despite the ouch factor, I agree to it. Apparently, I'm getting my eyebrows waxed, as well. Double ouch.

Thankfully, I get to put the pain on hold for a little while so that I can eat lunch. Lunch is a chicken wrap with kale chips and fruit infused water. I don't see how people can eat this stuff everyday. I need hamburgers. And I'm still hungry. While I'm eating, Damon calls to check up on me. I'm so happy to hear his voice again.

"What are you doing right now?" He asks. He's on his lunch break, too.

"I'm eating lunch. This health food thing is for the birds. Like, literally, I feel like I'm eating bird food." Damon laughs and tells me all about the chicken marsala he's eating right now. And that's totally unfair.

"Well, at least you'll be hungry for dinner tonight. Hate to cut this short, but I gotta run. You holding up okay over there?"

"Yeah. I'm fine. They're making me feel like royalty."

"As they should. I'll be there to pick you up around six. Enjoy the rest of your bird food."

"Ha. Ha. I'll see you in a few hours."

After lunch, it's all hustle and bustle. I'm moved from this place to that. We do the waxing, which hurts just as much as I thought it would, but Damon's going to freak out...in a good way. Then we go to hair, and I get a haircut and subtle highlights. My hair is still long, but now it's more layered with long bangs. After hair is makeup. And I've never had so much makeup on my face before. When I look in the mirror, I barely recognize myself. I look freaking amazing.

Once they're done applying my makeup, I'm moved to a dressing room upstairs. Inside it is the blue dress that Damon bought me at the mall. Also inside the room is a small bag that I brought with me. I tried to be as discreet as possible when I brought it in. I didn't want Damon to see it. Inside the bag is a sleeveless black lace corset, matching thong, and thigh highs. I bought them at Victoria's Secret when Damon set me free with his credit card the other day at the mall.

I told myself this morning, after waking up with Damon, that I liked that feeling. A lot. And when I kissed him last night, I felt things that I've never felt before. And, so, tonight, I plan on trying to take it a step further. I know Damon has reservations about that, but I don't really see why. He's had sex with me before. And I want this. I've never wanted anything so badly before.

Therefore, the sexy lingerie goes on. I have a hell of a time getting the garter clips clipped onto the thigh highs, but somehow I do it without chipping my nail polish. I slip on the dress, and it looks amazing. And I look like a model. I see some silver heels on the floor of the dressing room. I don't remember buying them, but they fit me perfectly.

When I step out of the dressing room, all the ladies that worked on me throughout the day are oohing and aahing. One of them walks over and works a little more on my hair. She puts some of it up, curling the ends. My makeover is finished off with diamond earrings, a beautiful silver necklace, and a small silver clutch. And when I look at the final product in the mirror, I can't believe it's me.

"Well, it's six. Damon should be here for you. Shall we?" All of the women go down the steps of the white, winding staircase ahead of me. And suddenly, I feel like I can't move. I'm frozen. What if Damon doesn't like it? What if he doesn't like my hair or the waxing or my makeup?

I calm myself down, telling myself that Damon's going to love whatever I got done, because I love it. And I start the descent down the staircase.

* * *

Damon's POV

I'm waiting at the bottom of the staircase at the spa, dressed in an Armani suit, which is nothing compared to the angel walking down the stairs right now. I'm positive that my jaw is hitting the floor right now.

Elena looks fucking amazing. These ladies definitely know what they're doing. I mean, she looked amazing before, but right now she looks like a queen.

She doesn't take her eyes off of mine as she makes her way down the stairs. When she gets to the bottom, I taker her arm in mine, and we walk out to a black limousine that's waiting for us. I help Elena get in, and I climb in across from her.

"You look absolutely stunning."

Elena blushes, and I'll never get over how beautiful she looks when her cheeks are that sweet shade of pink. "Thank you," she quietly replies.

"How did your meeting go?" Ugh. Not that.

"Ohh, you know, it coulda gone better. A lot better. Turns out the guy wanted to meet to tell me that he'd decided to go another route." What a waste of a day. I could have been getting naked massages with Elena. And that makes me want to cry.

"I'm sorry," Elena says sympathetically.

"Ah well, you win some, you lose some. It's his loss really. But let's not talk about business tonight. Tonight's about you."

"Us. Tonight's about us." OK. Us.

We arrive at our destination, and I get out, taking Elena's hand and helping her out of the limo. Elena looks around, looking rather confused.

"Damon. We're at our hotel." Yep.

"Follow me." I lead her up to the elevator and we take it up to our suite.

"I'm confused. I thought we were going to dinner," Elena says, as I lead her to a table set on our terrace. It's perfect. It's exactly like I requested.

There are candles lit all around the terrace, creating a beautiful glow. Rose petals are scattered on the ground. A table in the middle of the terrace is covered in a white linen tablecloth. It's set impeccably, and the food remains covered at the two seats set for us. I pull Elena's chair out for her, and she sits down. I take my seat across from her.

"I know you were probably expecting to go to a restaurant, but I wanted to spend tonight with you. Just you. So, I had dinner delivered to us."

The night breeze blows gently around us, and Elena smiles appreciatively at me. "This is perfect, Damon. It's beautiful."

I open the bottle of champagne that is sitting in the ice bucket on our table. I pour a glass for each of us.

"I won't tell if you won't tell." I wink at her. She smiles and takes her glass from me.

"To us." She says, as she holds her glass out towards me. I raise mine, toasting to us.

We uncover our plates, and the food looks incredible. We both have asparagus spears wrapped in bacon, along with potatos au gratin, and a main dish of sirloin steak. I swear I can see Elena salivating.

We eat in relative quiet, enjoying the peace of the night and each other's company. When dinner is finished, we walk back inside, and Elena excuses herself for a minute.

When she comes back, I'm standing looking out the window at the moon, feeling like the luckiest man alive. I feel her reach her arms up to my shoulders, turning me around to her.

"Thank you so much for everything, Damon. I've had the best time this weekend." She smiles sweetly up at me. God, she's beautiful.

"That was the goal."

"There's only one thing that could make this date better."

"Oh yeah? And what would that be?" I ask, genuinely curious.

"For you to make love to me." I blink a few times, wondering if I heard her right. Me. She wants me to make love to her. Me. And I realize, all those months at the boarding house that we were having sex, we always did it my way. She always followed the rules, she was patient when I was in my moods. And, she's never had a fucking orgasm. God.

If we're going to do this tonight, if this is really what she wants, we're going to do this her way. I'm letting her take control, because that's what she needs tonight. I'm going to let her explore, and I'm going to take the time to know every inch of her body. Tonight isn't just going to be about the sex, it's going to be about getting to really know each other on that intimate level. Something that I've never let her do. Something I've never taken the time to do for her.

"OK, if you're sure. But tonight, you are the one calling the shots. You do what feels right to you, don't worry about me. This is all about you, Elena."

She leans up to me and kisses me, deeply, hungrily, moaning into my mouth. I feel her hands around my neck, playing with my hair, as her tongue gains entrance to my mouth. Our tongues intertwine, and she rolls her hips into me, as I feel my cock straining against my pants.

Elena breaks the kiss, and her eyes are filled with a lust I've never seen in her before. She slides my suit jacket off, unties my tie, flinging it on to the floor, and then she's undoing the buttons on my shirt. She undoes them painfully slow, and halfway through, she grazes her hands across my chest and down my abs.

"Let's take this to the bedroom." She says, pulling me to the master suite.

Once there, she continues unbuttoning my shirt, throwing it onto the floor. I reach around her, unzipping her dress, letting it fall to the floor around her. And, holy shit, what is she wearing? I bite my bottom lip, looking her up and down, admiring her choice of lingerie. I've never seen anyone so sexy.

Elena walks over to me, pulling me to the bed. I lay on the bed, and she climbs up, sliding in between my legs. She kisses me once again, as her hands wander across my chest and stomach. Then, she starts kissing down my neck and down to my chest. She looks up at me under hooded eyes as she darts her tongue out over my nipple. I growl as the warmth of her tongue causes my nipple to harden, and then she does the same on the other side, looking up at me the whole time.

I stroke her hair as she starts kissing down my stomach, and I know she can feel my cock pushing against her stomach. She sits up slightly and starts to undo my belt. I can see her hands shaking slightly, and I put my hands over hers, stopping her.

"Elena, if you've changed your mind about this, we can stop."

"I want this, Damon. I want you."

I let her hands go, and she continues unbuckling my belt, tossing it aside. She slides back up, kissing my chest again, and I feel her hand stroking me through my pants. My hips buck up against her hand, and she starts unbuttoning and unzipping my pants. And the anticipation is killing me.

She slides my pants down my legs, and then she does the same with my boxers. And my cock is standing at full attention. She wastes no time in giving my cock the attention it's craving, gently stroking it, before sliding up and licking the tip. I close my eyes tightly as she starts taking me into her mouth. She sucks on the head, moaning and licking around it, and it's driving me crazy in the best kind of way.

She looks up at me as she licks up the shaft, swirling her tongue around the head before lowering her head down on my cock. I watch in awe as my entire cock disappears into her mouth. She swallows around me before sliding her head up, letting me pop out of her mouth.

"I love the way you taste." She tells me, and it takes everything I have not to come right at that moment.

"I want to taste you, baby." I say, pulling her up to me and flipping her over. "I want to show you something you've been missing out on." I kiss her neck, nipping at it lightly, as she whimpers under me.

I lower my head to her breasts, pulling her corset down, and squeezing her breasts together. I suck one nipple into my mouth, working my tongue around it until it pebbles, and then I do the same to the other side. She rolls her hips up into me as she moans my name. And I don't know why the fuck I've waited so long to do this, because hearing her moan my name is the sexiest fucking thing I've ever heard.

I kiss my way down her stomach, undoing the zipper on her corset and sliding it off of her. I lick my way back up to her breasts, sucking on them greedily. She wraps her hand in my hair, holding me to her, as she grinds against me.

Then, I work my way back down, sliding her underwear down. And I'm greeted with her completely bare pussy. She reaches down, attempting to cover herself. Why...I don't know.

"Don't." I say, gently moving her hands away.

"Do you, um, do you like it?" She asks.

"I love it. You're so fucking beautiful, Elena." I lick my lips, looking up at her with eyes full of lust, before dipping my head down to taste her.

"What are you doing?" Elena asks, stopping me.

"Baby, I'm gonna blow your mind." I lean down once more and lick her pussy, her wetness coating my mouth. She smells like roses, and she tastes like vanilla. And I could spend the rest of my life in between her legs.

"Oh my God, Damon!" She yells out as my tongue finds her clit, flicking against it rhythmically. Her hips buck up against my mouth, and I plunge my tongue into her. I keep tonguing her pussy until I feel her clenching around me. Then, I replace my tongue with my finger, pumping it in and out of her as I lick her clit.

"Damon, Damon, that feels so good. Don't stop...please don't stop." She grabs my hair in her hands, holding my head down to her. I add another finger to stretch her out some more, and she screams out in pleasure. I pick up the pace of my licking and pumping, and I know she's close.

"Let go, baby. Just let go." I coach her on, sensing that she's holding back for some reason. And that's all it takes. I feel her pussy tighten and then pulsate around my fingers, and Elena is screaming out my name, and her body is shaking as ecstasy overwhelms her.

"D-Damon. God, Damon, I need you. I need you." Elena begs for something that I am more than willing to give. After all, she has fulfilled my needs for quite a while now.

She pulls me up to her, and I kiss her deeply, and all I can taste is Elena. I reach up and gently stroke her face, taking a minute to admire her...glistening and dewy and glowing after her orgasm.

"You are so beautiful." I say, my voice hoarse with desire.

"Damon, please, please, I need you. I need to feel you inside me. Please." Her pleas are desperate, breath still ragged, as she grabs my arms, nails digging into my skin.

I line my cock up with her and push in, and she's so fucking wet that my entire cock slides in easily, stretching her, filling her. She moans in pleasure, putting her feet on my ass, keeping me buried inside of her. Sex with Elena is amazing every time, but this...this is something else entirely. This is absolutely fucking glorious.

She moves her feet away as I start thrusting in and out of her, and she meets every thrust with her own. Our bodies are colliding, sending waves of pleasure to both of us.

"Damon Damon Damon...oh my God, Damon! I'm-I'm, yes, I'm coming! Oh God, Damon!" She screams out as she finds her release. She pulses around my cock, as I join her in ecstasy, unable to hold it off any longer. She continues milking my cock with her pussy as our bodies are thrumming with pleasure. As the aftershocks of our orgasms subside, I lean down, kissing her passionately.

I pull out of her and collapse onto the bed. Her body is still trembling as she leans over and kisses me gently, softly.

"Thank you. That was-that was just wow. That was amazing. I never knew sex could be like that." I smile at her, but inside my heart breaks a little. Because she's right, she never knew that sex could be amazing, because she had to follow my stupid fucking rules. But no more. After that experience, I'll never hold her back again.

"You don't need to thank me, Elena. You were absolutely incredible." I'm surprised I can even form a coherent thought, much less whole sentences. I've been with a hell of a lot of women, but tonight, with Elena, was the single most incredible sexual experience of my life.

"Damon...I-I'm not sure if you really want to hear this right now. I mean, it may seem like I'm moving too fast. But I've never felt the way I feel about you with anyone else. I've never trusted someone so completely. I-I've never given myself to someone so completely. And I'm pretty sure that I'm falling in love with you." She looks at me as if she's waiting for me to reject her, like she's waiting for me to tell her that I'm not ready for this, that I don't want this.

"Elena, I don't know what I did to deserve your love. I'm not always a good man. I don't always do the right thing. But I'm positive that I'm doing the right thing now...that we are right. This, you and me, this is right. I love you, Elena." I've never meant those three words more than I mean them now. I never would have thought that three days alone with Elena would create something so magical, but if I'm honest with myself, I started falling in love with her long before our date.

Tears glisten in her eyes as she lays her head on my chest. We lay there in silence, my hand rubbing her back, her leg draped over mine. And maybe it was just our post-sex highs talking, maybe we'll wake up tomorrow and realize that we were wrong, but something tells me that that won't happen. Something tells me that nothing will ever feel as right as I do with Elena. And with thought, I drift off to sleep, thinking how damn lucky I am to be loved by Elena Gilbert.


	17. Chapter 17

**A/N: Sorry it took so long to get this chapter up. Hopefully, it doesn't disappoint. **

**Thank you all for all of your wonderful reviews, the favorites, and the follows. Love you all.**

* * *

Chapter 17: Where Do We Go From Here?

Elena's POV

I just woke up from the most peaceful night of sleep I've ever had. And I'm in the arms of the man who gave me the single most incredible experience of my life, the man who claimed he loved me last night, the man who has changed my whole world.

The thought of loving and being loved has me a little bit terrified, if I'm being honest. I have little to no experience in that department, save for the years when Damon's parents were in my life on a regular basis. What if I don't do it right?

I'm sure that Damon has had several women who have loved him, and I'm sure that he's loved his fair share of them. And I'm just worried that I won't compare to them. I want to do everything perfectly, because I'm a perfectionist, an overachiever. Damon needs love just as much as I do, and I want to be able to give it to him...as much as he needs, when he needs it, how he needs it.

The fact that Damon said he loved me last night still has me flustered. I don't understand it. Why me, of all people?

And I still get embarrassed every time he tells me I'm beautiful. I know he could see the scars on me last night, scars that are never going to go away. Scars, both physical and emotional, that are from my years of being unloved, years of being told that I didn't deserve love. But still, Damon still looked at me like I was the most beautiful creature he'd ever seen.

Damon is starting to come alive, and my mind is on overdrive. I can't stop thinking. What if Damon has changed his mind this morning? What if he only thought he loved me last night because we were still coming down from our high? What are all of the people back home going to think about us? What are his parents going to think?

I tell my brain to shut up, and I watch Damon as he slowly opens his eyes.

"Good morning, beautiful."

There I go, blushing again. "Good morning."

"How did you sleep last night?"

"I slept great. I haven't slept like that in ages...or, well, ever."

"That's a damn shame. I don't suppose our mind-blowing sex had anything to do with that, did it?" Damon says with a smirk.

"Nope. Nothing." I say, jokingly, smiling at him. "Actually, I think the fact that I was sleeping with you made the difference. You're like my own personal dreamcatcher. No bad spirits can get to me when I'm with you."

"Well, then, that's that. When we get back to the boarding house, you're moving into my room." Wait. Did I just hear him right?

"Um, you don't think that's moving too fast? I mean, are you sure?" I'm absolutely dumbfounded. His room...the room that's always been off limits when it comes to intimacy...and he wants me to move in there.

"If you think we're moving too fast, you can say no. I'm not giving you orders." I can't read Damon's expression right now, but I'd say it's somewhere between understanding and hopeless. He wants this.

"I'd be happy to share a room with you, Damon." And all that sharing a room entails. If our intimate moments are going to be anything like last night, then, yes please. More.

The smile that crosses his face when I accept his offer makes it completely worth it. For as many women as I'm sure Damon has been with, I have a feeling that very few have shared a room with him. I could tell from his rules back at home that he is the type of man that has reservations about intimacy, about being that close to another person. That just makes me want to love him more.

"That's the best end to our date weekend that I could ask for." Damon leans down and plants a sweet kiss on my lips. And he looks so happy. And I haven't seen this side of Damon nearly enough.

"By the way, last night...that's how your first time should have been. That's how sex with you should have always been. I was a goddamn idiot treating you the way I did."

It takes me a moment to figure out exactly how to respond to his acknowledgement. "You know, Damon, my first time wasn't ideal. It hurt...bad. But if I hadn't had that time and all of our other subsequent, um, sessions to compare last night to, then I wouldn't know just how incredible last night was. And also, you've taught me a little about sex, and that, you know, came in handy last night."

"I taught you how to give a good blowjob and a few sex positions, Elena. I hardly think that's something to congratulate me for."

I chuckle. "Well, ok, but I liked not being clueless about sex last night. I liked knowing what I was doing." And, honestly, I really do love the way Damon tastes...masculine and all Damon.

"Damon Salvatore, sex teacher extraordinaire, at your service anytime," he says, and I burst out in laughter.

I could definitely get used to this.

* * *

Damon's POV

Elena and I had a great morning together. We laid in bed talking for what felt like hours. We had an amazing breakfast. Elena ate half a plate of bacon. And the rest of our last morning in Dallas flew by.

Now, we're on our plane, headed home. I had to buy another suitcase just for the stuff Elena bought at the mall. And we had to check the giant stuffed animals, too. God, I'm almost positive that those stuffed animals have nearly cost me my life savings between the bundles of money I paid to win them and the exorbitant luggage fees. But Elena would be devastated if I didn't bring her panda, aptly named PB for Panda Bear, home with us.

Elena's asleep. She's catching up on months of sleepless nights. It gives my mind time to run rampant with thoughts of what I'm doing here.

I think Mom's going to be pleasantly surprised with how well her little date idea turned out. But I wonder if anyone else is going to be so happy for us. I mean, the other guys at the house are my friends, but they're also fiercely protective of Elena, and they know our rocky history. I don't see them being our biggest cheerleaders.

We get off of the plane, make our way back to the Camaro, and somehow I manage to fit all of our stuff in my car. Although, PB is sitting in Elena's lap, so it looks like my passenger is a giant stuffed bear. I'm sure my fellow drivers are getting a kick out of that.

Elena is fidgeting in her seat, and I don't think it has anything to do with the bear in her lap. Judging by her face, she is as nervous about getting back home as I am.

"What's got you so wound up?" I ask as casually as possible.

"Huh? Oh, um, I was just thinking. I was wondering how everyone is going to react. I don't think anyone expected us to come back as, uh, as, boyfriend and girlfriend." She ends that last sentence in almost a question.

"Boyfriend and girlfriend works for me. I mean, if we're going to be sharing the same room..."

"Yeah."

"Look, we don't have to tell them anything if you don't want to. We can keep it on the down low." Although, with all of us living under the same roof, that's going to be more than a little difficult.

"No. I don't want to keep secrets. If we're going to do this, they should know. I want them to know. I want them to know how I feel about you."

"OK. OK. But I'm giving you fair warning now, they might not have a very good reaction. In case you forgot, I've hurt you. More than once. And they don't want to see you get hurt again." Plus, except for Katherine, I don't have the best history when it comes to commitment or relationships in general. And Katherine doesn't even really count. Most of the time that I was with her, I felt like I was still single.

"But they know that I forgive you. They think I'm crazy for doing that, but you've done so much good. And I know you aren't going to hurt me again. Surely if I can move past the bad parts, they can too."

She makes it sound so easy. She makes forgiveness and redemption sound like the simplest tasks, but we aren't all Elena. She's a diamond in a world of coal.

We pull up to the boarding house, and I see that Mom and Dad are still here. At least we'll have one person on our side. Maybe even Dad will be. Doubtful.

We grab all of our luggage and go inside, and I'm glad to see that the house isn't a complete disaster. I wondered if any cleaning would get done without Elena here.

I'm not sure where everybody is. So far, so good. Elena and I take our stuff upstairs, and I feel my heart pick up when Elena brings her bags to my room. Because, shit, this is actually happening. Elena is moving into my room.

Elena's been in my room pretty much on a daily basis, but right now, she's walking around as if it's her first time in here. She's looking at every picture hanging on the wall, every item on my dresser, the bed...the same bed that she was in not so very long ago bruised and broken. She doesn't seem to be thinking about that fact, though, as I see her look at me and lick her lips with a look of complete and unmistakable lust in her eyes.

And I would love nothing more than to show her how sturdy my bed is, but I hear Mom calling us from downstairs.

"You ready for this?" I ask Elena. I hope to God she is, because I'm not. Elena nods and takes my hand in hers.

"It's gonna be ok. Even if they don't approve. It's not about them, ok? This is about us." She stands on her toes and kisses me, her hands firmly planted in mine. We stand there for a moment longer, breathing each other in, preparing ourselves for the onslaught of impending judgment that's about to engulf us.

When we get downstairs, still holding hands, Mom is waiting for us with open arms. I stand back and watch as the two women I love most in this world embrace.

"Oh, my babies, I'm so glad you're home. Elena, you are positively glowing. I assume your date went well and Damon treated you right."

"Our date went very well, Mama. And Damon was a perfect gentleman. Everything was perfect." Elena looks at me as she says this and smiles at me sweetly.

"You have no idea how happy this makes me." Mom is on the verge of tears. "Seeing you smile, after all you've been through...that's what I wanted for you. And I knew my son could bring that out of you."

Elena hugs my mom again, smiling the kind of smile that brightens the whole room. Then, Mom comes and hugs me before leaving the room.

And great...I hear Ric and Stef coming. Looks like our moment of rainbows and sunshine is coming to an end.

"Hey, you two." Ric walks over and hugs us both, and Elena's back to holding my hand.

Ric looks down at our intertwined hands and I see the confused look on his face as he looks up at us. "I guess your weekend went well."

"It was great." Elena says, cheerily.

"Hey, 'Lena, I think Caroline and Jenna are upstairs. They wanted you to go tell them about your date with my brother." It's obvious to me that Stefan has some choice words that he doesn't want Elena to be privy to. It's probably best that she doesn't experience the monumental dose of harsh judgment I'm about to receive.

"Um, ok." Elena knows something's up. She looks up at me as she squeezes my hand and lets it go. And before she heads up the stairs, she gives me a lingering kiss.

Stefan and Ric at least wait until Elena is up the stairs before they start lecturing me.

"Dude, what the fuck?! You go away for three days, and you come back, what? In love?" Ric is trying not to yell. But I can tell how angry he is by the way the veins on his neck are bulging.

"Actually, yes. And I don't see what the fucking problem is. You're the one that's always telling me that I need someone stable. You knew that I was taking Elena out for the weekend." My breath comes out heavy and hard. Some friend Ric is. One day he's telling me that I need to settle down, find someone good, and then when I do, he fucking drills me into the ground for it.

"The problem, Damon, is that she's 18. You're ten years older than she is. She has her whole life ahead of her. Not to mention the fact that you've hit her, you've had her put in the goddamn cell, and you were paid off by her uncle to hurt her." Thank you, Stefan, for being Captain Obvious. As if I didn't think of these things every single fucking day.

"Thing is, Stef, she forgives me. Don't ask me why or how. She just does. Yes, she's young. Yes, I've hurt her. But at the end of the day, all that really matters is that we have these feelings for each other that neither one of us can really explain. They just happened."

"When Mom said you were taking Elena on a date, I didn't think you'd come home like this."

"Then what the hell were you expecting? Oh wait, I know. You were expecting her to hate me. You expected her to be miserable. You expected me to ruin everything, because that's what I do, right?" I feel the need to punch something, and if Stefan and Ric don't watch their p's and q's, it's going to be one of them.

"What we were expecting, Damon, was for you to come back as friends. All Elizabeth wanted you to do was to make her happy. You could've done that without going and convincing her that she's in love." Convincing her? What the fuck? There was no fucking convincing involved.

"I didn't convince her of anything. She makes her own choices. I make mine. We chose each other. End of story. If you don't like it, then get the fuck over it."

"We just don't want to see Elena getting hurt. She's a good girl, Damon, but she's naïve and inexperienced. You know this, better than anyone." Ric has calmed down a little. And I'll admit, I'm glad they have her best interests in mind. I just wish my so-called friend and my brother could see that maybe, just maybe, I am good for her.

"I'm not going to take advantage of her, if that's what you're worried about."

"Look, Damon, maybe...maybe we shouldn't be so quick to judge." You think? "But, I swear to God, if you hurt her again, I will kill you." Ric looks dead serious.

"I'm not going to hurt her. I just had the most amazing weekend of my life with her, because of her. And for whatever reason, I've earned her love, and I'm not going to compromise that by doing something that's going to hurt her."

My response seems to pacify the guys. We talk a few more minutes about what Elena and I did on our date, mindfully skipping the sexy parts.

After Ric and Stefan decide to give me some peace, I figure judgment time is done. But then Dad walks in the room. Great. I hope Ric and Stefan haven't helped themselves to my bourbon stash too much. Cause God knows I'm going to need a drink after this.

"Son."

"Dad."

"I heard you talking to Stefan and Ric. Seems they don't approve of your new relationship status with Elena."

"Yeah, seems that way. Let me, guess, neither do you."

"A few months ago, no, I wouldn't. I would have probably disowned you if you'd tried anything like this with Elena. But now, well, now is a different story. I've seen the way she looks at you, Damon. I've seen the way she's changed you. And your mother is on cloud nine right now." I'm wondering to myself if my mouth is hanging open, because of all the reactions I imagined Giuseppe Salvatore having, that was not one of them.

"Well, it was Mom's idea."

"Yes. Your mother and her...ideas." Dad says, rolling his eyes.

Mom summons Dad from the kitchen, leaving our conversation at that. And I decide to go check on Elena and her girl talk session.

* * *

Elena's POV

When I got upstairs, Caroline and Jenna were sitting in my room. Well, in my old room, anyways. They asked me how my date went, and I told them about my feelings for Damon. And it was all downhill from there.

"Are you serious?! How can you love him after what he's done to you?" Caroline asks incredulously.

"I forgave him. We know each other better now, and I know he would never hurt me like that again. People make mistakes, everybody does. I'm not going to hold all of Damon's mistakes against him. l wouldn't want someone to do that to me."

"Yeah, but you can forgive him without being his girlfriend. That's a little extreme, don't you think?" Jenna asks.

"You told me when we first met, that Damon deserves someone stable. You told me that he's an ass, but that he's a good person. You basically implied that I would be good for Damon. So, why can't you just be happy for us?"

"I am happy. I'm happy that you're happy. And I'm happy that Damon's happy. But I don't think you should rush into things. I mean, moving into his room? That's a pretty huge move when you've only been in love for a day."

"That's just it, Jenna, these feelings didn't just erupt over night. They've been brewing for a while. And I want this...this relationship with Damon, as complicated and backwards as it may seem. This is what I want. I've never wanted anything so much in my entire life."

"But it's with Damon. I mean, really, you could do so much better. You just don't know what's out there, because you were sheltered so much. Damon has a history of relationship issues, and I don't think that they're all just going to magically stop with you. There are men out there that are way better than Damon Salvatore." Caroline's complete lack of sensitivity and tact has me furious.

"If we have issues, we'll deal with them as they come. I'm not afraid of Damon's past, ok? Damon is good. You may not see it, Caroline, but I do. And I would really appreciate it if you would stop treating him like he's trash. He gave me the weekend of my life, I was blissfully happy, we had incredible sex, and I love him."

"Ok. I just have one more thing to say, Elena. Because I care about you, because you're my friend." Some friend she's turning out to be. "Liz told Damon to take you on a date, because she wanted to see you happy. But I'm pretty sure that Damon fucking you into loving him wasn't what she had in mind."

And that's the last straw, tears are stinging my eyes, and my actions are not my own. My body moves of its own accord as I slap Caroline right across her flawless face. The shocked expression on her face does nothing to assuage my fury.

"Get out! Get out of my room. If you were really my friend, as you just said, then you can consider our friendship officially over." Caroline and Jenna both leave the room, and I slam the door behind them, before sliding down onto the floor, finally letting the tears fall.

I was expecting them to be skeptical about our relationship, but I wasn't expecting that. There's a knock at my door, and I tell whoever is there to go away. I'm not in the mood to be around anyone else right now.

* * *

Damon's POV

I get upstairs, and I can hear Elena and the girls arguing. And it's not pretty. And then I hear the unmistakable sound of skin hitting skin, the slamming of a door, and I see Caroline run past me with what looks like a handprint on her face. That's my girl.

When I get to Elena's door, I can hear the sniffles on the other side. It's heartbreaking, especially after our amazing weekend together.

I knock gently on the door. "Elena, it's Damon. Please let me in."

Elena tells me to go away. She doesn't want to talk to anyone. She may not be under my control anymore, but she's going to talk to me right now.

"Elena. Open the door." I say firmly, in a way that she's knows better than to argue with.

The door opens slightly, just enough for me to see the tears streaking down her face. "I-I need some time alone, Damon."

Her voice cracks, and then she's a sobbing mess. I push the door open, gently, and once inside, I hold her to me.

"That bad, huh?"

"Caroline was horrible. I hate her."

"Yeah. I saw the handprint on her face." Elena's crying has subsided, and now she just has a look of pent up furious anger on her face. Best be careful what I say. "Look, you don't hate her, 'Lena. She's just trying to protect you."

Elena punches my arm. So much for being careful. "Are you actually defending her? She basically told me that I was only in love with you because you're good at sex."

"Well, I mean, she ain't lying. I think I'm pretty good at sex." Elena punches me again and walks away. I guess now's not the time for humor either.

"It's not funny. I was so happy this morning. God, I wish we'd never come home. I could hear Stefan and Ric yelling at you. I see your support group is just as shitty as mine."

"Yeah. They think I'm going to ruin you." I pray to God that they don't know how upset she is. Although, I'm sure Caroline will tell my brother about Elena slapping her, and then Saint Steffy is going to preach to me about how I'm a bad influence on Elena. Blah blah blahbity fucking blah.

"Damon, I love you." Elena turns and wraps her arms around me tightly. "Can we start moving my stuff to your room?"

"You sure you still want to do that? I don't think our housemates are too keen on that idea."

"Fuck them." Holy shit. Did my sweet little Elena just say that? I feel my eyebrows raising in surprise, and I also feel my cock straining in my pants at hearing dirty words coming out of that sweet little mouth.

"Well, ok, guess that settles that." I look at her once again to make sure she's ok. She has pure determination inscribed on her face. And then she's off, grabbing things, taking them across the hall.

It only takes about fifteen minutes to move all of her things. I find it utterly depressing that the majority of her possessions were purchased on our trip, that 75% of her material possession lay in bags strewn in a corner of my-of our room.

"So what now?" I ask.

"I'm going to get settled in, put my things away. Speaking of, where should I put everything?" Lucky for her, being a bachelor, I don't have a lot of stuff. Therefore, most of my dresser and closet consists of empty space.

"There's plenty of room in the dresser and the closet. Feel free to move stuff around if you need to. Do you want me to help you?"

Elena is silent for a minute, thinking. "No." I feel a tinge of sadness at her rejecting my help, but I understand. "What I want you to do is hold me again and tell me everything is going to be ok, even if you don't believe that." And just like that, all my sadness is gone.

I do as I'm told, and I reach out and pull Elena to me, putting my arms around her waist and nestling my cheek into the silkiness of her hair. She in turn, wraps her arms around me, resting her cheek against my chest. And it's like everything is perfect again. I'm in the arms of the woman that I love, my senses alive with her smell and her touch. All I need is her taste.

I let go of her, using one of my hands to tilt her face up to me, as I lean down and kiss her, letting myself enjoy her familiar taste.

We quickly move to the bed, where I lay her down gently, stroking her hair, telling her how goddamn beautiful she is. And she looks even more beautiful on my bed. On our bed.

Elena sits up and lifts her shirt up and off, revealing a simple white bra that stands out against the deep olive color of her skin. She smiles at me as if beckoning me to join her, and I am all too eager to do so. I climb on to the bed on top of her and start kissing her. Her lips taste like the cherry flavored lip gloss I know she favors. Elena reaches down to lift my shirt over my head while I reach around her to undo her bra and let her glorious breasts free from their cage.

The kissing continues, only now I'm moving down, down to her breasts, sucking on them attentively, enjoying each little moan that pours out of Elena's mouth. Her hips roll into mine, the pleasure consuming her.

Delicate hands reach down and undo my belt and my pants, and then she's sliding them off with her feet. I help her, and then I help her out of hers. And I growl out of pure carnal desire when I see that she has chosen to not wear underwear today.

I look up at Elena with lust hooding my eyes, and she licks her bottom lip, sucking it into her mouth. She sits up, pushing me down onto my back. She slides up to my chest, licking it, kissing it, sucking it. My breath comes out deep, heavy.

When she's done giving my upper body attention, she moves down to my boxers, sliding them off quickly. My cock springs free, hard and ready. Elena strokes me before leaning down and licking me like a fucking popsicle. She licks up and down the shaft, placing soft, gentle kisses along the way.

Then I'm in her mouth, the warmth and wetness causing me to thrust into her mouth. She moans around my cock, sending unbelievable vibrations through me. They radiate throughout my body, causing me to moan and buck my hips up to her.

"Mmmmm." She moans as she takes me deeper into her mouth, and soon she finds a rhythm, not too fast, not too slow. And I get an idea.

"Elena, Elena, I-I want you to turn around. Turn your ass towards me." She obeys quickly, and then her mouth is back on me.

I flick my tongue gently against her clit a few times, and she moans around me once more. And I'll never get over how fucking amazing that feels.

Soon, we're both consumed with each other, in each other. Her juices are on my face, in my mouth, her taste and her smell are intoxicating. And she is steadily sucking and stroking me, and I know I'm close.

"Yes, baby, just like that." I tell her as I insert two fingers into her pussy and suck her clit into my mouth. That makes her scream. Pleasure takes over her body, and soon I feel the tell-tale tightening and pulsing of her orgasm. Her back arches and her head is thrown back as her body trembles from the intensity.

When her orgasm has subsided, she wastes no time in returning her attention to my cock in full force. She strokes firmly, sucking and licking me right to the brink. And then, just as I'm about to come, she sucks my whole cock into her mouth, down into her throat, and I feel her swallow as I let myself go inside her mouth.

My cock pops free from her mouth, and she licks it clean. And she is so fucking sexy.

"Well, I think it's fair to say that we've broken in the bed. That was incredible, 'Lena."

Elena comes and lays down beside me, her arm curled under her head on my chest. "You can say that again." She looks up at me with a sweet smile on her face. "I think I'm gonna like sharing a room with you."

And for a long time, nothing else matters but us, happy and full of love, laying together on our bed. All of the judgment and anger and doubts from earlier forgotten, and life is perfect once again.


	18. Chapter 18

**A/N: Chapter 18 is here! This chapter contains pain, joy, plenty of interaction with the other characters, and some nice Delena moments. Enjoy!**

**And I love all of your reviews and favorite s and follows SO much! There's nothing quite so exciting as checking your email and reading that people love your story just as much as you do.**

**So, thank you thank you THANK YOU!**

* * *

Chapter 18: Brides and Bruises

Damon's POV

Today is Ric and Jenna's big day. They're tying the knot, uniting as one, becoming each other's ball and chain. Jenna, Elena, and Caroline are all gone to get some pre-wedding pampering. Ric, Stefan, and I are hanging out at the house. Stef and I are trying to get Ric to enjoy the last few hours of being a bachelor.

Ric doesn't seem to keen on joining in on our festivities, though. He's still recuperating from last night's bachelor party. Stefan and I threw out all the stops...booze, food, football, and maybe a stripper or two...which the ladies will hopefully never find out about. Ric's about to enter the land of monogamy. Of forever monogamy. He deserved to have one last lap dance...or two.

I haven't heard from Elena since she left, and I'm sure she's having a blast, but I fucking miss her. She's been my roomie now for almost a month. And it's been everything I could ever ask for. Sure, we drive each other crazy sometimes, but overall, life's been perfect.

Waking up with Elena next to me, wrapped in my arms, will never get old or any less thrilling. She still takes it upon herself to take care of things around the house, even though I told her we could hire a maid. She insists that she likes it. And I'm not going to argue with her. She does a damn good job. God, I love her.

Three hours till the wedding starts. More importantly, three hours until I can see her. I don't know how I make it through work sometimes. My work day consists of financial bullshit and thinking about Elena, calling Elena, texting Elena, sometimes even sexting Elena. I've honestly never been this fucking crazy over a girl in my life.

* * *

Elena's POV

Jenna, Caroline, and I have been at this spa for four hours. We've had facials, manicures, pedicures, hairstyles, and makeup. It's a far cry from my usual daily beauty routine of moisturizer, lip gloss, and mascara. The last time I was this pampered was when Damon treated me to the day at the spa on our date.

I can't wait to see Damon in his tux tonight. Damon in a suit makes me all hot and bothered. Hopefully the wedding won't be too long.

He hasn't seen my dress yet, because Jenna couldn't make her mind up about the color and style and if she wanted them strapless or not. I think she finally made her mind up about 30 minutes ago. She decided to go with ballerina pink strapless dresses.

I never thought I would ever be a bridesmaid, and all of this is so new to me. We had a bachelorette party for Jenna last night. It was definitely an experience I'll never forget. There was a cop there...at least I thought he was a cop...that is, until he told me I was under arrest and started stripping. Needless to say, my first experience with a male stripper was more than a little embarrassing.

It's finally time for our final fitting for our dresses. Caroline and I make our way to a back room and put the dresses on. They are floor length, skin-tight, with little sequins and beads all over the bodice. Jenna made a good choice. After an hour of nipping and tucking and sewing and altering, we are finally in our dresses. And I think that if I breathe, this dress is going to rip.

We meet Jenna outside the spa. We're heading to the little chapel that Ric and Jenna have chosen as their wedding site. There, Caroline and I will help Jenna get ready, and I'll finally get to see Damon.

Speaking of Damon, living in Damon's room has been incredible. I've been nightmare free for a month now. I swear it's because I'm wrapped in the safety and security of his arms.

Admittedly, life hasn't all been roses since we got back from our date. Caroline and I have been getting along reasonably well today, but there's still strain there. I'm still mad at her. And she still gives Damon and I her trademark judgmental looks whenever she sees us doing anything remotely romantic. Also, Damon and I have our fair share of arguments, and we've had a couple of bigger fights. But, as Damon has taught me, make-up sex is the best.

* * *

Damon's POV

We're at the chapel watching Ric get dressed in his penguin suit. And I've been looking out the window every five seconds to see if I can see the girls. And just when I think that Jenna is probably going to be late to her own wedding, their car pulls up. All three girls rush out and into Jenna's dressing room. I barely caught a glimpse of Elena.

"Damon, are you even listening to me?!" Ric asks.

"What? Yeah, of course, I am."

"Then, what did I say?"

"No clue."

"Asshole. I asked if you have the rings."

"Rings? What rings? Shit!" Never hurts to have a little fun at my best friend's expense.

I wish I had a picture of the look of horror on Ric's face so that I could laugh it at forever. "Damon, I swear to God and all that's holy, if you lost those rings I will fucking kill you."

"Lucky for me, I get to live another day. Your rings are right here, dumbass." I say, showing him the rings tucked safely in my pocket.

"Fucker."

The door opens and a man walks in to tell us that we have ten minutes. I take those ten minutes to check my hair in the mirror and to give Stefan a hard time about how many times Caroline called him today just to tell him she loved him. OK, maybe I'm a little jealous.

And then, it's time. Ric walks out and goes to the front of the chapel to wait for his blushing bride. Stefan and I wait in the foyer to walk with our lovely ladies down the aisle. Speaking of our lovely ladies, there is still no sign of them.

And then, there they are. And my breath completely escapes me. Elena is dressed in a strapless, slinky pink dress that perfectly accentuates every flawless feature of her body. And I want nothing more right now than to cover her up in a Snuggie so that no other men can look at my beautiful girl. But I'm pretty sure Jenna would kill me if I did that.

Elena and I link arms, as do Stefan and Caroline. And Jenna and her father hug and do the same. The wedding processional song comes on, and Elena and I begin the long walk down the aisle. I whisper to her how beautiful she is, and I can see her cheeks turn the rosy pink color they do any time I compliment her. We make it to the end of the aisle without tripping or falling or embarrassing our friends, and we go and stand in our respective places across the aisle from each other.

Stefan and Caroline walk down and join us, and then everyone stands as Jenna and her dad make their way down the aisle. Jenna looks absolutely stunning. Ric's a lucky man.

And I can't help but think, as I see how happy the two of them are, that maybe one day Elena and I can be in their place. After all, Jenna started out as a girl, just like Elena, at the boarding house. She smoked a lot of pot, got in trouble at school, and her parents wanted her to turn her life around. Ric was smitten with her from the first time he laid eyes on her.

They ended up being a perfect match. She finished school under his tutelage, and he found love again after his first wife cheated on him with his ex-best friend. Ouch.

The wedding goes by quickly. I try to focus on the happy couple, but my eyes keep wandering over to Elena, and evidently, she's having the same problem. Because every time I look at her, she's slyly looking at me.

The reception is outside the chapel. Ric and Jenna kept the wedding small, only close friends and some relatives. And the reception is equally quaint, but no less of a party.

* * *

Elena's POV

Jenna, Caroline, and I go to the reception outside, and my first order of business is finding Damon. It doesn't take me long. I just look for the most gorgeous man out here.

As soon as I spot him, I walk over to him, kissing him.

"You look so hot in that tux," I whisper in Damon's ear. "I've been thinking about you all day."

"You don't look too bad yourself, Miss Gilbert. And likewise." He says, looking me up and down with a dark look on his face. I know exactly what he's thinking about. And that causes me to melt under his gaze.

"How long is this thing?" I ask, my voice coming out much breathier than I would have liked.

Damon chuckles at me, telling me that we can't leave until after the bride and groom do. Let's hope the rest of this reception goes by quickly.

After mingling for a while, Damon and I go and sit at our table. Stefan and Caroline are seated at the table with us. The tension is thick, but we all try to pretend like we don't notice it, for Jenna and Ric's sakes.

After eating a nice dinner of foods that I've never even heard of, it's time to dance. I think I'll just watch. But Damon has other ideas. He comes and grabs me up and takes me to the dance floor.

As is evidently customary, we watch Jenna and Ric have their first dance. Then, we're all dancing. Damon's got moves, which is good, because I do not. I keep stepping on his feet, but he doesn't seem to mind.

Thankfully, the dancing doesn't last long. Then, it's time for cake. Jenna and Ric cut her cake and Jenna shoves a big piece of cake right in Ric's face. Ric retaliates by smearing a piece of cake across Jenna's face. And the room is roaring with laughter at our two friends, faces covered in white icing.

After we've all eaten our fair share of cake, we all line up and throw birdseed at Jenna and Ric. And I'm really having a hard time understanding all of these wedding rituals, but I just go along with everything.

And that's it, Jenna and Ric are off to their honeymoon in Italy. The wedding guests gradually start leaving, and Damon and I follow suit.

* * *

Damon's POV

I am so fucking glad that all of that is over. It's not like I wasn't happy for Ric, he's my best friend for God's sake. I just want to get home and relax with my girl in my arms. Although, I'm not really sure Elena and I will be relaxing. No, definitely not.

Elena and I get in the Camaro, and she looks just as happy to be leaving as I am.

"So, you ready to get out of here?"

"Yes! That was incredibly long." Actually, as far as weddings and receptions go, their's was kinda short. But I won't tell Elena that.

"Well, you looked stunning. I know I've already told you that, but you were by far the prettiest girl there." I just love making Elena blush. She's so damn cute.

"Um, shouldn't you be saying that about Jenna?"

"Jenna is not my girlfriend. You are. And what can I say, married women aren't my thing." Elena laughs as we start to drive off.

"Well, you were the hottest man there...by far. I think you should wear a suit every day."

"Better keep wishing, sweetheart. This thing is fucking hot." I have on way too many layers. I don't do layers. And what the hell is a cumberband for anyway?

"Well, it's still really sexy on you." OK, maybe I'll wear a suit sometimes. Just for Elena.

We drive on for another half-hour, just talking and laughing. We're so consumed in each other, that I don't even see it...a stalled car in front of us. I don't see it until it's too late.

Elena's screaming, and I'm trying to maneuver the Camaro so that the damage to both us and the car is minimal. The collision is still hard and rattling. We are thrown off the road, careening into a shallow ditch where we come to a stop.

Shit. Shit shit shit. Elena's having a fucking panic attack. Just when she was starting to get over the nightmares and reliving her brother's death, this has to happen.

I call 911, telling them our approximate location, and then it's just a waiting game. I reach over to Elena to try and comfort her and calm her down, and I instantly feel intense pain coming from my midsection and my head. That's not good.

But my pain is going to have to take a backseat right now. I need to focus on Elena before she passes out or hurts herself.

"Elena. Elena, listen to me. You need to listen to me. I'm here, ok? It's me, Damon." She's shaking and breathing way too fast. And I'm dizzy and in a lot of fucking pain. But I have to hold it together for her.

"Baby, it's ok. I'm with you. Listen to me, Elena. Focus on my voice, focus on my touch." She looks over at me briefly and starts to take deeper breaths. We're getting somewhere.

"That's it. Calm down. We're ok. Help is on the way, ok? Just keep your focus on me."

Thank God, I can hear sirens in the background, and they're getting closer.

* * *

Elena's POV

My heart is racing so fast that it feels like a ticking time bomb, just waiting to explode. And I can't breathe. Damon is trying to calm me down, but it's only slightly working.

I just had flashbacks of Jeremy and the tree and that branch. I'm trying to tell myself that we're ok. Damon's ok. He's not dead. I'm not dead. But I'm in a lot of pain, and I can tell Damon's hurt by the way he's wincing and groaning.

I just heard the ambulance pull up, but I'm too scared to move. When the paramedic comes to the door asking me what happened and if I'm okay, I can't even calm down enough to speak. So, Damon speaks for me as much as he can.

I take a few deep breaths to try and slow my heart down at least a little bit, and then I slowly wriggle my fingers and my toes. And I can feel them. That's a good thing. I move my left arm, then my right. All good there, although it hurts quite a bit when I move my left arm. I lift my right leg up a little, and then my left, and I'm ok.

I hear Damon tell the paramedic that he's dizzy, his head hurts, his side hurts. He's hurt. He's in pain, but he didn't care. He was taking care of me, calming me down, making sure I was okay. And now it's my turn to worry about him.

I finally find my voice, and I ask the paramedic who's assisting me if Damon is okay. He tells me that he'll be fine, that they're only minor injuries. And I find a little bit of comfort, but then I realize he might be lying to hide how bad Damon's injuries really are. I hope that's not the case.

The paramedic helps me out of the car and onto a stretcher. Pain radiates in various places on my body, but I'm alive. We're all alive this time.

Damon and I are placed in separate ambulances, and I'm kind of freaking out. I want to be with him. I want him to be with me. As the panic sets in once again and tears start to fall, I feel a small prick in my arm and everything goes black.

* * *

Damon's POV

We're en route to the hospital, and so far I know that I have at least one broken rib and a mild concussion. If that's the extent of my injuries, then Elena and I are very lucky. This could have ended so much worse.

We make it to the hospital, and of course, it has to be the same hospital that Dad works at. Which means that it's the same hospital that Grayson Gilbert works at. Let's hope we don't cross paths.

I'm transported to a triage room in the ER, and I see that Elena is in the room across the hall from me. She looks like she's been sedated, and I'm praying that she's ok. I told her she was, and I'd hate to be made into a liar. I'd also never forgive myself is she is hurt because of my driving.

"Mister Salvatore, your father is here to see you," says a nurse.

"OK." I wish I was peacefully out of it like Elena right now.

Dad walks in the room, and he looks upset, but relieved.

"What happened?"

"There was a stalled car in the road, and I didn't see it in time. And then, somehow, we ended up in a ditch."

"Have you been drinking?"

"I had a drink. One. One drink at my best friend's wedding. I knew I would be driving, and I had Elena with me. I'm not that stupid, Dad." I can't fucking believe he actually asked me that. Like I would drive drunk off my ass with Elena in the car.

"I wasn't trying to blame you for anything, Damon. I wasn't making assumptions. It was just a question. You're lucky, you know that? You could be dead, Elena could be dead."

"Yeah, well, my guardian angel must have been watching out for me tonight." I roll my eyes, not even believing myself.

"Well, I'm glad you're okay. And Elena's fine. She's banged up, but no broken bones or anything."

"Then why is she sedated?"

"They said she had a panic attack in the ambulance...because you weren't there." God damn it. I wish I could hold her right now. But every time I move, I feel like I'm going to puke. And my head is still throbbing, but I've been told not to go to sleep under any circumstances until they do a CAT scan on my head. Great.

"Thanks for coming to see me, Dad."

"I've got to get back to work. I called your brother and Caroline, and they're on their way here."

"What about Mom?" Something tells me he doesn't want to deal with her tonight. He is working after all, and we both know that she'd be a mess knowing that I'm hurt and that Elena had a panic attack.

"Your mother is asleep. And well, you know your mother. It's just best if we wait till morning to tell her."

"Yeah. OK."

And with that, Dad is out of my room. I see him walk into Elena's room and kiss her on her forehead.

Half an hour later, a nurse comes in to wheel me down to radiology. Once the radiologist has looked at the full battery of x-rays and scans that they've done on me, I'm finally allowed to rest. An anesthesiologist comes and gives me a dose of mystery medicine. And then, I'm out.

I wake up delirious, disoriented. I try to sit up, and I immediately lay back down, yelling in pain. I feel a soft hand rubbing my arm, and when I look to see who it belongs to, I see Elena sitting at my bedside. She's wearing a tank top and shorts, so I guess Stefan and Caroline have already been here. There are scrapes and bruises all over Elena's body, but she's in one piece and she seems to be okay.

"You're awake." God, Damon. You're such an idiot. Of course, she's awake. She's right fucking next to you.

"Yeah...So are you."

"Yeah."

"I was worried about you, Damon. They said that you'll be ok, though. You have to stay in the hospital tonight."

"Damn. Well, I'm sure Stefan and Caroline will take you home." I'm sure she's ready to get out of here.

"I'm not leaving you. The nurse said that the chair folds out into a bed. And there's no way I could sleep in our bed without you." Tell me again, what did I do to deserve a girl like this? Cause I'll be damned if I know.

"I'm glad you're okay, Elena. I was worried about you, too. I hear you had a panic attack on the way here."

"Yeah. Another one. I was really worried about you. And I needed you. I needed to know that you were okay."

"Well, sweetie, now that you know I'm going to be okay, no more panic attacks. Alright?" Honestly, her panic attack right after the wreck freaked me out. I thought she was going to have a stroke or something.

"No more." Elena smiles at me, and I'm so happy to see her smile. She leans over to kiss me gently as a nurse comes in with sheets. The nurse unfolds the recliner, and I'm 100% certain that it's going to take a genius to fold that thing back up. She put sheets on the "bed," and Elena goes and lays down. I'm sure she's exhausted.

"I know I just woke up a couple of hours ago, but I'm really tired." She looks like she's struggling to keep her eyes open. Poor thing.

"Get some rest, 'Lena." And with that, she closes her eyes and starts to drift off. "I love you."

"I love you, too, Damon." She whispers softly. And despite the pain coursing through my midsection and my head, all is right with the world right now.

* * *

Elena's POV

CRASH! I shoot awake, gasping and that all too familiar feeling of complete and utter despair fills my soul. l could have sworn we were just in a car. But as I look around, all I see is darkness, and then I remember that I'm in Damon's hospital room.

The nightmares are back. Only in this one, it's Damon and me. And it doesn't have a happy ending.

I decide that it's best to keep this quiet from Damon, so I lay back down and try to get some more sleep. But sleep is hard to come by when you just saw the man you love dead in the car. Hopefully, that nightmare was just a one time thing. I don't think I can deal with that every night, especially not when Damon is sleeping right next to me.

Daylight pours in the window as morning breaks. I must have fallen asleep sometime between the nightmare and now, because Damon is awake and walking around, rather slowly. He's fully dressed, and I see Stefan and Caroline sitting in chairs near the door.

"Morning, sunshine." Damon says, as he grimaces in pain.

"What time is it?"

"It's 9:15. Just got discharged, so as soon as you're ready, we are out of here."

"They're letting you go?" Oh my God, I sound like a worried mother. I feel like a worried mother.

"Yeah. They're letting me go with a healthy dose of painkillers. No strenuous activity, no heavy lifting, no operating heavy machinery, no fun, blah blah blah." It's good to see Damon hasn't lost any of his snark here.

I get up, brush my teeth and brush my hair, and twenty minutes later, we're walking out of the hospital. Stefan and Caroline are taking us home. They tell us that Damon's car isn't a complete loss, but repairs are going to cost a pretty penny. A pretty penny that I know Damon is going to pay, because he loves his car almost as much as he loves me.

Damon and I sit in the back of Stefan's car, and Damon takes my hand in his. He leans over to kiss me in the moment we have before Stefan and Caroline get in the car, and he whispers an earnest "thank you" in my ear.

"Thank you for what?"

"For staying. For being so fucking amazing."

"You don't have to thank me. I love you, Damon." And that's what love is, isn't it? Being there for the person you love when they need it, even if being at home might have been more comfortable. You make sacrifices, because you love that person more than yourself.

"I love you, too. Now, let's get back home." Damon says, as Stefan drives away from the hospital. Yes. Home sounds good.


	19. Chapter 19

**A/N: I had hoped to have had this chapter out a few days ago, but I had to do some fine tuning. And then, life got in the way. But here it is, at last! **

**This chapter is filled with angst, because Delena bliss can't last forever. **

**Thank you all so so much for the reviews, follows, favorites, and all the love. It definitely encourages me. **

* * *

Chapter 19: 28 Candles

Damon's POV

It's been almost three weeks since Elena and I left the hospital. Jenna and Ric have moved out and into their new house across town. And, I gotta admit, it kinda sucks not having Ric here.

My broken rib has been gradually healing, although the area is still tender as hell. And my head is all better, although I'm sure plenty of other people would disagree. I'm sure many of them would say that my head's never been right to begin with, screw the concussion. Ah well.

It seems like work has been taking up all my time since we got back home. Elena isn't too happy about it, but she says she understands. It's been ages since we've had sex, though, and all the pent up, uh, frustration is starting to get to both of us. We're both somewhat on edge these days.

Life was roses and rainbows and butterflies for us from our date until we came home from the hospital. But, as everyone knows, good things can never last. Especially for me. Damon Salvatore just doesn't get good things. And when I do, I damn well better enjoy them.

At least I have these few fleeting morning moments to hold my sleeping Elena in my arms. I have these few moments to watch the way her eyelashes flutter slightly in her sleep and the way her breasts swell when she takes a breath.

When the alarm clock on my phone goes off, I carefully get out bed, so I don't wake Elena. I get ready for work, and when I get to the kitchen to grab a bite to eat, Stefan is there with a stupid look on his face.

"Happy birthday, Brother." God, no. I am not the type of guy that likes to celebrate his birthday. It's just another day...a day where I turn another year older, a year closer to dying. No thank you.

"Shut it, Stefan. You know I don't celebrate all that shit."

"Oh come on, you know you want to see what Elena's gonna get you."

"Elena doesn't know. And I swear to God, if you tell her, I will kick you out of this fucking house." If Elena finds out, she is going to go all out. I know it. She'd probably hang streamers and everything. "And tell Blondie to keep quiet, too. You know her and her mouth."

Shit. The chances of Caroline Forbes keeping quiet about today are damn near zero. Stefan comes to the same conclusion that I just did, and he pats me on my back as he heads up to their room.

I better get out of this house before I'm serenaded with "Happy Birthday" by a chorus of off-tune, cringe-worthy singing. I walk out, get in my Camaro, and let my tires squeal as I drive off to a place where no one knows that I'm turning 28 today.

* * *

Elena's POV

As I wake up, I reach around me and realize that Damon must have already left for work. That's become our usual routine during the week. Work has essentially taken over Damon's life. I think they're working on some major investment thingy. Whatever it is, it's seriously cutting into my Damon time. And it sucks.

When we came back from our date, things were great. But after the car accident, things have been different. And I don't know how to explain it, besides the whole work thing. We just haven't gotten to spend much quality time together lately, and by quality time, I mean quality time naked. And my body is screaming at me.

I decide I better get up and get ready. After my shower, I open the door, and Caroline is standing there looking like she was debating on whether she should knock or not.

"Um, hi."

"Hi."

"Look, I know things haven't been great between us, and I know it's my fault, and I wanted to apologize, and also it's Damon's birthday." Caroline is the queen of speed talk.

"Um, wait, what? One thing at a time, Care."

"I'm sorry about being a total bitch to you."

"Ok. Apology accepted." Hopefully that's the end of the judgy looks and the judgy comments.

"And it's Damon's birthday."

"What? He didn't tell me." I didn't even get to tell him happy birthday this morning. And I don't have a present.

"Damon doesn't like to celebrate his birthday. He probably didn't even want you to know."

"Well, I'm glad you told me. He may not like to celebrate his birthday, but believe me, we're celebrating." This is going to be the best birthday he's ever had.

Stefan is walking up to us with a worried expression on his face. "Hey, 'Lena."

"Hey."

"Hey, babe. Uh, so, what are you two talking about?"

"Ohhh, nothing." Caroline says sheepishly.

"We were definitely not talking about how it's Damon's birthday." I say, with a smile. Both of them glare at me, and I chuckle and start walking downstairs.

"Elena. Whoa whoa whoa. You can not do anything. I mean it. Damon told me that if I told you, he'd kick me out." Stefan seems genuinely worried.

"Well, lucky for you, Caroline told me. Not you. You're safe." I keep going downstairs. I have to get to the kitchen and make a cake. I've got to plan dinner. I need to buy a present. So much to do, so little time.

Stefan and Caroline stay upstairs, leaving me to my own devices. I make myself a quick breakfast, then I scour the kitchen for the ingredients to make my cake specialty, triple layer death by chocolate cake. I really don't know what kind of cake Damon prefers, but I do know he likes chocolate.

When the cake is finished, I set it aside on a cake stand with a note informing the other occupants of this house that if they so much as touch this cake, they will face certain death. And not by chocolate.

Now, what about a present? Well, Damon has pretty much every thing he could ever ask for. He's got enough money to buy himself whatever he wants. And then, I get a brilliant idea.

I had one friend throughout my childhood and teenage years in Mystic Falls. One friend who didn't laugh at me or judge me when I wore turtlenecks in the dead heat of summer. One friend who I could trust to not divulge any of the things I told him in secret. He was the one friend I had who I knew always had my back.

Matt Donovan and I grew up together. He's a natural born sweetheart. He's compassionate and caring and has the most loving, generous soul. People always thought we were dating, because we were so close. But that would be like dating my brother. Ew. No.

It just so happens that Matt's mom, Kelly, owns the one lingerie shop in Mystic Falls. And if there is one thing that I know Damon Salvatore loves, it is a sexy piece of lingerie.

I run upstairs and ask Caroline if I can borrow her cell phone for a minute, and I call Matt. I give him all the details of what's going on, and of course, he is happy to help me out. Without question. I tell him exactly what I want, and he says he'll deliver it this afternoon. And that is why we are best friends.

I've got the cake and the present taken care of, so I spend some time cleaning the house. Stefan leaves to go help Damon at the office, and Caroline leaves to go shopping. And then, Matt's at the door.

I feel my heart swell at the thought of seeing Matt again. It feels like forever since I've seen him. When I open the door, he's wearing a huge smile.

"Mattie!" I run out and hug him, and he returns the hug. "Come in."

"So, this is where you live now? Not bad." He says, as he looks around, taking in his surroundings.

"Yeah. It's not too shabby. That's for sure." I can't wipe the stupid smile off my face. I love this.

"Why don't we go sit down in here." I lead him to the living room, and we sit on the couch in front of the fireplace.

"I brought your gift. You might want to check it out and make sure I got the right thing. If not, I probably have time to run back to the store and trade it out."

I open the bag, and inside is a black lace teddy. It's perfect...sheer, halter-style, with sparkly rhinestones going up and down the length of my chest and belly. Damon is going to love it. Although, he'll probably tell me that I shouldn't have bothered, since I'm not going to be keeping it on long anyways.

"It's perfect, Mattie. Thank you so much! What do I owe you?"

"It's on the house." Matt says with a smile.

"Oh, Matt, I can't do that. I've gotta pay you something."

"Fine, Elena. You want to pay me? Pay me with time. Talk to me, tell me what you've been up to. How's life been treating you here? Vicki told me this place is bad news."

Vicki, Matt's sister, would know. She was in the druggie crowd, always getting drunk or high. I'm sure she knew girls here. I'm surprised she wasn't a girl here herself, but then, Kelly would never do that to her daughter.

"It's not that bad." I hesitate. "Well, it was bad at first. When Uncle John brought me here, things were pretty horrible, but now, things are great."

"And this boyfriend of yours...he treats you right?" I decide not to tell Matt that there was a time when Damon used to hit me and hurt me and use me. He doesn't need a screwed up image of Damon.

"He's wonderful, Mattie. He makes sure I'm taken care of. He took me to Texas!"

"Wow. Did you see anyone riding a horse to work?"

We sit and laugh and talk for a long time. Turns out, Matt has a girlfriend that he met over the Internet, and they've been together for three years now. She lives in Kentucky, but they see each other every chance they get. And Matt is determined to marry her. I'm absolutely thrilled for him. He deserves a great girl.

I make us some lunch, and we sit back on the couch and eat it, and then the food coma starts to set in.

"Oh God," I say with a wide yawn, "I'm really tired. Food plus a comfy couch plus my best friend being here equals one sleepy Elena."

"Get some rest. I'll go."

"No no. Don't go. I'll stay awake." I may have spoken too soon. I feel my eyelids drooping, and Matt's talking to me, but I can't comprehend what he's saying. My brain is all fuzzy, and I keep feeling my head bob up and down. And then, I'm dead to the world.

* * *

Damon's POV

Work sucked, as usual. Stefan and I worked our asses off all day today, and we got nothing in return. The fucking investment deal went south, and we got completely screwed over. Happy fucking birthday to me. I'm going to need a stiff drink when I get home.

As I'm pulling up to the front of the house, I see an unfamiliar car parked in front of the front door. I wasn't expecting any guests today, and Stefan and Caroline went out for the night. Strange.

I open the front door, expecting to be greeted by my beautiful girlfriend, like always. Only today, of all days, she's not there. Panic sets in. Strange car, missing girlfriend, shit!

Just when I'm about call 911, I see her. She's asleep on the couch in the living room, and I would think she is absolutely adorable...under other circumstances. Because right now, her shirt is hiked up to her boobs and a strange boy's arm is draped over her bare stomach, and there are dishes strewn on the coffee table alongside an incredibly sexy piece of lingerie.

Anger, betrayal, and surprise immediately invade my system. I really thought Elena was different. I can't even start to think of a logical explanation for the sight in front of me. I can't really think at all.

I sit in the armchair across the room from Elena and the boy that I'm about to kill. Maybe they'll wake up when they feel my eyes boring holes into them.

Twenty minutes later, Elena's eyes open, and she sees me. She must see the danger and the fury in my eyes, because she immediately sits up with a panic stricken face.

"Oh my God, Damon! You're home." Stranger boy wakes up, too. His expression would be hilarious if I wasn't so irate right now.

"Yes. I'm home." I answer flatly. "And imagine my surprise when I walk in my fucking door and see my girlfriend in the arms of a fucking stranger."

"Damon, I can ex-" No. No explaining.

I cut her off, in no mood to hear her right now. "You don't get to talk right now, Elena."

I almost fall for the hurt expression that washes over her face. "Damon, please."

"Who is he?"

"He's-he's Matt. He's my friend."

"Uh huh. I see. Your 'friend.' So, Matt, tell me, how well do you know Miss Gilbert?"

"We've been friends since elementary school. I know her pretty damn well. And I think you better show her some respect." Who does this punk think he is? He's going to come in to my house, fall asleep with my girl, and then tell me what to do. I don't fucking think so.

"Respect goes both ways, Matt. You see, Elena is/was my girlfriend. And I think respect would be me not walking in to find her asleep in someone else's arms."

"Damon, it's not what you think." Elena's eyes and mouth are pleading with me, but my anger is clouding my judgment, and I can't stop it.

"What I think is that your little boy toy needs to get the fuck out of my house."

"I'm not leaving this house until I know that Elena's safe." Brave. Brave and stupid.

"I'm not going to hurt Elena. But I need to talk to her...alone. Now, get the fuck out like a good little boy before I throw you out of the door myself."

Matt contemplates this, and I guess he decided that he'd like to keep his pretty face intact. He apologizes to Elena and walks out the door. I stay right where I am, keeping my eyes on Elena. She's barely fucking looking at me.

"Damon. Please. Let me explain. Caroline told me it was your birthday, and I wanted to surprise you."

"Well, count me fuckin' surprised, Elena! God damn it. You don't understand how upset I am right now." Although, I'm guessing by the rising decibel level of my voice that she can pretty damn well guess how upset I am.

* * *

Elena's POV

There are no words to accurately describe the way I feel right now. Ashamed doesn't scratch the surface. Embarrassed doesn't do my feelings justice. Completely and utterly mortified is pretty close, but still not quite there.

Damon is pissed. I honestly don't think I've ever seen him this mad before. And it scares me. And it hurts like hell.

Our little squabbles we had before don't even begin to compare to the mess I've gotten myself into here. I can't even begin to imagine what Damon must be picturing in his head about what happened when he was gone to work.

"Damon. I'm really sorry. I swear nothing happened. Please believe me."

Silence.

"I-I made you dinner and-and a birthday cake."

"I'm not fucking hungry, Elena." He spits his words at me. His harsh tone is so unsettling now. I haven't heard it directed at me in so long. Tears burn my eyes, and I am helpless as they start to fall freely.

"He's just a friend, Damon. He has a girlfriend. And we didn't do anything, I swear." He has to believe me. He knows me! He knows I wouldn't do anything to intentionally hurt him.

"He had his arm around you, you shirt was practically shoved up to your fucking tits, and your ass was right up against him. Tell me again how I'm not supposed to assume anything."

"It's not what it looked like! I swear!" I raise my voice to match his, and soon we're both yelling at each other. And this is so not how I had envisioned his birthday being.

"OK. Great. But I don't fucking care. I'm going to go upstairs, get shit-faced drunk off my ass, and wake up tomorrow praying that what I just walked in on was a bad dream."

"Damon, please, just listen to me!" I grab Damon's arm as he starts to walk past me, and he looks at me with a nasty sneer. "I'm sorry. You know me, Damon. You know I wouldn't do something like that."

"What I know Elena, is that your uncle brought you here, saying that you'd done bad things. What I know is that everything I know about you is your word, so it may not even be true. What I know is that you were sleeping with your boy toy on my fucking couch with fucking lingerie on my coffee table. I mean, shit, did you at least try it on for him?"

I can't believe he just asked me that. My heart just shattered into pieces, and anger is coursing through me. Before I can stop myself, I pull back and slap Damon hard across the face. His face turns with the impact, and when he looks back at me, his eyes are dark and dangerous.

"Just so you know, I got an offer today for another girl. So, maybe you've overstayed your welcome. Maybe you should call dear old dad or Uncle John to come pick you up. I'm sure they'd just love to hear what happened."

Damon walks upstairs, pausing before he reaches the top of the staircase. "You should also make other sleeping arrangements for tonight, because I sure as hell won't be sharing my bed with you."

I hear Damon slam his door closed, and I run upstairs to my old room, closing my door. I collapse on the bed, sobbing uncontrollably. I never knew I could hurt like this. Give me physical pain any day. This...this is the worst pain I've ever felt.

Damon thinks I cheated on him. He thinks that I betrayed him and his trust. He thinks that I'm just like any other girl here. And I know most of what he said was said out of anger. I know him. He didn't mean everything he said, but that doesn't make it hurt any less. He may as well have stuck a knife in me and twisted it, because that's what his words felt like.

I don't know how, or even if, we're going to fix this. I had planned on our night going perfectly. If only I'd stayed awake or just let Matt leave when he offered to go.

I'm at such a loss at to what to do, but Damon hates me now. I'm sure of it. So, I do the unthinkable. I leave my room, quietly, and go to Caroline and Stefan's room. I find Caroline's laptop sitting on their desk, and I compose an email to my dad. I tell him to come and get me tomorrow, that my time here is done. And with a sob, I hit send, before making my way back to my room and completely falling apart.


End file.
